


Guns, Gambling, and Greatness

by Water9826



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Angst/Comfort, BAMF King Dice, Cagney has mixed feelings, Cuphead and Mugman are the best bros, Cuphead and Mugman are the best little shits, Devil is nice, Dice and Devil curse a lot, Don’t mess with King Dice, Elder Kettle is tougher than he looks, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Gun fights, He is just The Devil of Inkwell, Heavy Angst, How Do I Tag, Human AU, I will add more relationships as I go, King Dice can SING, King Dice is a Girl, King Dice’s Cards are adorable and deadly, King Dice’s parents in the first chapter, M/M, Mafia Boss AU, Modern AU, Nothing against him being a man, Only to Dice though, The Devil is a Sneaky Bastard, The Devil is a kid in the first few chapters, The Devil is not “The Devil”, Wounds, first fic on AO3, hope that makes sense, idk I just wanted to see it happen, more tags later on, same with Dice, they are only mentioned in all others
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-05-24 05:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14948876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Water9826/pseuds/Water9826
Summary: The Inkwell Isles may seem like a magical place for everyone. In reality, it is nothing of the sort. Gangs and Mafias run the entire isle with an iron fist or should I say magical fist. No one is safe if they aren’t part of a powerful gang. Still, no one is safe in the long run. Even a young girl and her best friend might not make it out alive. At least, not alone.





	1. What it’s like to be a King

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I am water9826! I know it’s a stupid name but I like water soooo. Anyways, this is my very first fic! I loved the game Cuphead and I have always wanted to write something for it. I hope you enjoy!

“Get your weak-ass in here now, Cabel!!” a rough voice, Dice’s father, shouted. Daniel Pip Dice was always a greedy, selfish man, especially now since he had a daughter. His wife, Veronica Spade Dice, was just as bad, if not worse. Cabel loathed her parents with a passion.

She always had to do everything in her house, if she could even call it that. It was a small and disgusting type of house with no ounce of love or care in sight. She was only eight-years-old at the time and she was already doomed to have a horrible life. Being part of a dying mafia, The Kings, had its disadvantages. It didn’t help that her father was the founder and Boss of the gang, making her an immediate target for any other rival groups. Even regular people didn’t want anything to do with her, instead giving her strange looks as she “bought” groceries.

Along with that, she had to deal with her magic abilities all by herself, causing her to be more of an outcast. It came with being one of the many mafias in her world. If she was being honest, it was only typical that anyone in the Inkwell Isles that had magic would use it for fear and power.

She should stop thinking about her pathetic life, it was weak of her to do so, her father always told her that being selfish was a sign of stupidity. He was one to talk. The obese, dark skinned man was so pompous and self absorbed, he couldn’t even notice that he was part of the selfish people.

“Coming, Father.” Cabel muttered. She couldn’t even say the word ‘Father’ without cringing internally. This man wasn’t really her father at all. Sure, he was her biological father, but that was it. Feeling her dark eyes start to turn into an emerald green, Cabel breathed in and smiled at her ‘parents’.

It wasn’t surprising that her mom was drinking a bottle of vodka and watching T.V. in her pajamas while her father was sprawled on the couch with an empty beer in his hand. He must’ve called her to take his beer and give him a new one. Then, her mother would tease her of how lanky and skinny she was. Following that, she would call her ugly and a moron and probably tug her short, curly hair. The pale woman might have been a beauty in most people’s eyes, but she was a snake in Cabel’s opinion. When she looked at her biological parents, awaiting the regular routine between them, she didn’t get it. Instead she got something much worse.

“Well, Dicey, it’s been great having a possum like you in our care for eight whole years. You know that The Kings have been pretty much defeated. We are the only remaining members of it. Now, your dad and I have been thinking, and we finally figured something out!” Mother laughed and took a drag of her cigaret.

“You are so useless and worthless to us, yet valuable. It seems like a rival gang wants you and get a reward from the police for killing you. We have already negotiated with them, and we are getting half of the $6,000 reward! Isn’t that great, brat,” her mom looked at her with her malicious, brown eyes.

Her father then stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. Eyeing her rag of a dress and malnourished body, he said, “You already look dead with that ugly mug, but not dead enough. We never wanted you in our lives. Cabel King Dice, you have put an end to the The Kings Mafia from your existence. As a reward for your treachery,” he stopped and slapped her in ther face. “your ugliness,” he pointed toward one of the discolored spots on her face from her Vitiligo, punching it a second later. “and your burden to our lives. We want to give you the beating of a lifetime.”

After he said that, Cabel heard her mother cackle, get up, and take off her leather belt from her jean shorts. 

The moment the belt whipped her, striking her in her right eye, Dice’s vision went black.

So much for being the heir to The Kings gang, right?


	2. Red Meets  Purple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hello! What are you doing here,” a young voice asked. It sounded like it came from a young boy, probably no older than she was. Still, she needed the help, but didn’t know whether to trust this kid. Even battered, bloody, and at her breaking point, Dice stood up and smiled at him. 
> 
> “Same question for you, kid.” Cabel said.
> 
> “Ha! I like you! You seem to be smarter than others. How about we make a deal?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Father’s Day and here is the new chapter! Now we will get to see the Devil! Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> WARNING:  
> This is where things get gorery and angsty

  
All Cabel could see was a dark blurry mess surrounding her. After blinking a few times, her vision cleared and she could see where she was. All Dice knew was that she wasn’t at her old house anymore. Also, she could barely see out of her right eye.

Wonderful…

She tried to stand up, only to find that her legs just collapsed under her. Pain immediately surged through her and she screamed. Her whole body started to shake severely as the injuries started to register into her brain. Then came the memories.

The beating…

Her parents…

Damn them.

With her left eye, she could see that there were a multitude of deep gashes all across her body, possibly from her dad’s many knives or a glass bottle her mom broke. She wasn’t able to remember what exactly happened, but Cabel could remember her mother laughing or her father yelling. At least, she knew what happened before they nearly killed her.

Her parents wanted money, so they wanted to give her dead body away to some other mafia. There was a price for her head, no wonder they would do that. Her parents must’ve have gotten too hyped up and angry to remember, leaving her in this strange place for the rats or whatever.

Maybe they wanted her to rot so there wouldn’t be any evidence that they did this to her. Mom for sure wanted her to be even uglier than she already was. Cabel had dark skin like her father, but her mom said she was tainted with Vitiligo that ruined her skin. Her discolored spots all across her body and face were often ridiculed. When she weakly looked down at the ones on her leg, she saw how they had the more severe slashes and cuts. They were littered with scars from years before. One time, her mom used her limbs to burn out her cigarette. Well, her entire packet of cigarettes. It was supposed to make her stronger and be a form of discipline after she burnt her parents breakfast earlier that morning. Her father just stood by and watched his T.V. show, insulting her every minute or so. Sometimes it was about how ugly, stupid, or weak she was. The words didn’t affect her that much anymore, she had grown used to them.   
  
As she was remembering her dreadful parents, she saw a grey blur through her peripheral vision. Then, a quiet giggle. Cabel hoped it would be someone who wouldn’t killer, but death isn’t too bad for her now. The pain had numbed while she grew angered at her parents, activating her magic. Still, she was unable to walk or get up and was exhausted from blood loss.

More shuffling was heard, making the young girl more anxious. Her three diamonds, the most aggressive out of her cards, were summoned as an attempt to defend herself. The diamonds growled with their squeaky voices and looked around. Suddenly, her dark purple eyes met red ones surrounded by yellow.

“Hello! What are you doing here,” a young voice asked. It sounded like it came from a young boy, probably no older than she was. Still, she needed the help, but didn’t know whether to trust this kid. Even battered, bloody, and at her breaking point, Dice stood up and smiled at him.

“Same question for you, kid.” Cabel said. Even though every fiber of her body was yelling at her to sit down, she remained standing. The pain worsened exponentially, and she had to bite her tongue to not sob or yelp. Her stance has incredible shaky, yet she still attempted to have a calm and strong front.

“Ha! I like you! You seem to be smarter than others. How about we make a deal?” The little boy grinned and took out his hand. “What do you say, buddy?” He looked expectantly at her with his big eyes. Cabel, however, knew that she should play this carefully.

“Why, I would like to, but I don’t even know who you are. Still, help would be appreciated,” her voice wasn’t even steady. Soon after, the wounds that were barely drying opened up, causing her to fall down against the dirty wall of the alley. The boy put his hand down and walked up to her with little steps.

His skin was a light grey and his small horns were hard to see over his shaggy, black hair. A tail with an arrow bandaged around at the end whipped behind him. It then clicked in her mind, this was someone part of The Devil’s Casino Mafia.

Even as she started to back up against the wall, uncaring of the gasped and cries of pains she was letting out, the kid kept going. He crouched down and looked at her with a determined look in his eyes.

“My name is Lu Devil and I’m ten! Yes, it is supposed to be Lucifer, but I don’t like that name much. Also, I know my last name is that of the mafia boss that killed thousands, Satan Devil, but don’t be scared. You see, my stupid dad cast me out of Inkwell Heaven, leaving me at the feet of Mr. Satan. He saw how I have dark magic to, which probably is so much stronger than his. That’s why he cut off a part of my tail, beat me up, and threw me in the streets. How about you?” As Devil kept on talking, the passionate flare in his eyes intensified as he looked at Cabel.

She had stopped backing away and unconsciously moved closer to him. Something about him made her feel calm, despite the unbearable pain she was in. His story also had things she could relate to. It made him more of a friend than foe in her eyes. 

“You look like you are going to pass out or die at any second, so can I help you with my magic? I swear I won’t kill you!” Devil looked at her with worry as she started to pale even more than she already had. Cable gave a weak nod as she felt her mouth begin to fill with blood. It dripped down her face and into her cheap dress. Violent hacking and coughs overwhelmed her thin frame. Lu looked at her with worry and then resolve washed over his eyes. With his small hands, he administered a healing spell he learned from a book he stole.

His hands touched her legs first, causing Cabel to hiss in pain. He didn’t recoil though, instead continuing the spell. As he did that with the rest of her injuries, she felt a warm feeling in her stomach. Never in Dice’s life had someone besides herself gave her aid. It was always her bandaging herself up after her parents got too bored or drunk. Always crying by herself in her room that actually was a closet her parent used to store in junk. It made sense they would put her there. She knew how little she meant to them, but the feeling was mutual.

Dice couldn’t stop thinking about her past, it had traumatized her after all. The magic she had started to flare again, and her right eye started to burn and strob significantly. Even though she tried to be discreet about it, Devil apparently notice. When he moved to her damaged eye, the Magic seemed stronger than ever and the swelling immediately began to lessen. Was he trying to give her back her eyesight in her right eye? It was a tough effort to do that, based on the boy’s heavy breathing. He looked frustrated when he still saw the eye’s cloudiness, indicating that Cabel’s full eyesight wasn’t restored. She was still going to be blind in that eye, even with his help. He sighed subtly and continued with the spell. 

After thirty minutes had passed, some color returned to Cabel’s face. All of her wounds had slightly healed and there was no more blood pouring down her injuries. She looked a the boy with grateful and watery eyes. He was the first person to show her kindness. Everyone showed hatred, disgust, or fear whenever she was near. Lu was different. Instead of loathing, he showed sympathy and understanding.  
  
“Thank you, Lu. I would have died without your help. What was that deal you were talking about?” Cabel had a feeling he would want something from her for his aid, but she didn't know what. She originally believed it was money or food, yet it didn’t seem right to assume that towards him. He didn't seem like the type to do those kinds of him. Sure, he was a bit thin, but had some strength that was evident from his powerful magic.

“First, I want to know who you are and your story. You don’t have to tell me everything right now. Another thing that’s part of the deal is that,” he stopped and had a mischievous look in his eyes, taking a hold of Dice’s left shoulder, “You and I will become friends. Partners in crime. I’ve been alone for two years in the streets. It would be great to have someone to help me out and be with. Also, we will have our own mafia and take down all the others who have wronged us. We will show them what power is supposed to do. So, do we have a deal?” Devil stood up and took out his hand for Cabel to grab. When she took it, she realized she was a few inches taller than him, but he still had an aura of power.

His proposal was like a blessing to Cabel. It would be pay back for the mafias that destroyed her life. She’ll show how strong she can be. On that note, being with Devil would be great. They already seemed to click. It was like Dice could be his right hand man, well, woman, but she prefered to use ‘man’. She never liked to be like all other girls her age, especially in the world she had to live in. Little girls were expected to be submissive and obedient to everyone, even in this modern time. That wasn’t something she liked at all. She always loved to be the one leading or managing a project and such, not listening to whatever someone ordered her to do. Whether it be cleaning the blood off their clothes, cook, or give them first-aid, she was always commanded or hit until she complied. It didn’t matter now, she would show them why no one messes with her. Lu would also make that possible with his offer. 

Even though, she wanted to accept his deal, but she would have to reveal who she was, a part of the Kings Mafia. A weak, little girl with unpredictable magic. Someone who had lived their life alone with no one to talk to except sentient cards. No. She had to get over that. It doesn’t define who she is anymore and it never will. When she looked at Devil, her anxiety immediately came back. He was waiting patiently for her to answer, no ounce of anger in sight. Very nervously, she told him her answer, using formality to hide her insecurities. It didn’t work much.  
  
“My name is Cabel King Dice, I am eight, and I accept your deal. I’m aware of how manly that name is, but my parents wanted a girl. They’re the reason why I’m like this. Also, my last name shows that I am from the dead Kings Mafia. You can tease me now.” She wrapped her arms delicately around her stomach, shame and awkwardness. Her eyes started to prickle with tears that made her hug herself more. Her still hurt quite a lot, but she’s used to dealing with pain like this. She didn’t cry from the pain again. It was disappointing already that she did earlier. She nearly burst out laughing at her pathetic nature. Cabel could even speak write, she shou-

She felt a hand on her back. It was gentle but firm. Devil looked at her with a serious expression, eyes still twinkling with mischief. His hand was comforting as he rubbed small circles into her bony back. Even though he was a bit shorter, he didn’t need to lean up to do the gesture. 

“Great! I like your name, Cabel to. Also, I don’t care about that mafia you were born into. Instead, we should focus on the mafia we can make together. The only thing I would tease you about is those diamond cards that bit me while I was healing you. Those cards are actually really cool, but definitely needs some training.” Lu pointed toward that diamond cards that were pathetically nibbling at his old socks.

She had almost forgotten about them. With a wave of her hand, they disappeared. Using that bit of magic was like a punch to the gut, causing her to recoil into herself. Goodness, she had dirt from the ground and blood all over her. Nevertheless, Lu lay a comforting hand on her arm.

  
“You’re really strong, you know? I can sense how lethal your magic can become. In all my years, I have never met someone like you. So, do you want to get some food? I know a place where there are a bunch of abandoned apple trees! They are actually pretty good. What do you say, partner?” The boy hand his hand out and Dice took a hold of it. They shook their hands firmly and giggled at one another. 

“Sure, Boss.” Cabel smiled smugly at him.

With that, the pair exited the alley, laughing and talking all the way. Their hands had yet to part. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Also a little note is that they may be humans but they are like magic beings, well, some of them are ;)
> 
> Also I am swamped with work right now, so I won’t be able to post today or tomorrow. I will make an extra long chapter to compensate!


	3. Sparks Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though things might be sunshine and rainbows for a bit, it will never last. The world is harsh and dangerous, so everyone must be prepared for everything. No matter if it’s just getting apples...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! First off I want to thank everyone for reading! I never thought that anyone would read this, but here we are :D I hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> WARNING  
> Violence, A bit of Bad Language, and Cutness will ensue in this chapter

As Devil lead Cabel to the apple trees, she couldn’t help but laugh at the situation she was in. Dice, a girl who just got beaten to a pulp, was being helped by a member of the most powerful mafia in all of Inkwell.

The Devils were brutal towards everyone, even each other. Using their dark magic, they could take anyone’s life in a second. Only the highest members were able to have that kind of power. All the others would use guns, knifes, and all kinds of weapons that they knew how to use. Now, one of those members was holding her hand to eat some apples with her. Lu could even be the next heir to the ‘throne’ of the mafia’s hierarchy.

“What are you laughing at, Dice? Is there something on my face?” Devil asked. There wasn’t any irritation in his eyes, just humor and curiosity. “Let me guess, you are thinking about how awesome I am. Being near a powerful being does do those kinds of things to their admirers.”

How dare that boy give her such a cheeky smile, she could already feel the snort threatening to come out of her. That damn snort of hers always made Cabel a laughing stalk. She was about to breath a sigh of relief, not feeling the sensation anymore. 

It happened...

She snorted and started giggling like a schoolgirl. Well, she would actually be a school girl if she ever went to school. Books and sneaking into lectures at random schools were her only source of education. Nevertheless, the laughs didn’t seem to be near any stop until Devi let go of her hand. He stared at her with an unreadable expression. Did she mess up or offend him? Fear gripped her with an iron fist. Suddenly, the bastard had the nerve to walk up to her until he was straight up in her face.

He looked like he wanted to kill her. That was until he let out a loud snort himself. 

“I like your laugh! Man, I got you good, didn’t I? Anyways, sorry not sorry, but I do see some certain trees…” Devil flicked her on the nose with his left hand, careful of his small yet sharp claws. His tail started to wag unconsciously as he walked towards the trees.

The same exact trees containing ruby red apples.  Cabel could already feel her stomach grumbling, but she had to do one thing first.

“I was only laughing because you were holding my hand and didn’t seem to care or notice. Does a bad-boy like you do those kinds of things?” She was already smirking at her own words. Two could play at that game. Dice didn’t learn how to be smug and sharp in her words, she was already a natural at it since the moment she could talk. The look on Lu’s face only made her laugh again. Pure embarrassment and flustered.

She walked over to the old tree Devil was leaning again. He was looking aware, trying to hide his blush. The boy looked at her again with an evil glint in his crimson eyes.

“I am full of sin, Cabel, and I want to show you why you don’t prank me. THINK FAST!!!” He threw a massive apple at her. Aiming towards her face, of course…

She flinched and put her hands up to defend herself. All of her cards summoned behind her, razor sharp and ready to strike. Except…

The hit never came.

Devil was suspending it with his magic, covering the fruit in a faint red glow. He was cackling as he did so, dark tears of humor prickled his eyes. Once he stopped and Cabel unsummoned her cards, Lu put the apple in her hands.

“You should eat this. It almost hit you in the face. You don’t need anymore injuries,” he firmly said. Punching the aged tree, he caught another apple for himself, looking at the girl the whole time.

The two ate while sharing stories of their lives, mostly Devil’s. After eating a couple of apples each, they got up for only Lu to scream at her, magic igniting.

“GET DOWN!!”

To bad he was one second to late…

The Garden Mafia had already set their tree on fire.

____________

 

“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here, a couple of brats taking our food,” a grating voice said. It belonged to none other than Cagney Carnation, the leader of the mafia. The man was lanky and clearly over six feet tall. He was muscular and his bright yellow eyes glowed with pure hatred a the duo. His mafia was one of the largest in Inkwell.

Many found his ‘family’ a good way to be safe. The man was a botanist, gardener, and just basically obsessed with all things wildlife and nature. Anyone who messed with the plants and such in his land was targeted immediately. Even if you think you were sneaky enough, he had eyes everywhere.

  
The two were each tied up with tight chains on their arms, legs, and necks. They were pinned against the very tree they had apples from. Even though Cagney and his goons burned it, his magic allowed any type of nature to grow back.

The tree was even bigger and thicker than before. Neither of them could focus on the tall man stalking towards them. His orange hair looked like it was moving on its own and his pale, yellow skin seemed to almost glow a little. It was evident that he was beyond pissed off.

A summoned whip took the pair out of their sense of shock. Devil yowled in pain, thrashing against his bounds while Cabel screamed from the pain that made her injuries cause her more agony again. The dark, green whip that the Cagney was holding looked like it was made from the stem of a rose. Thorns that were yellow covered the whip from top to bottom, making it an even more painful experience than it already was.

“What. Do. You. Have. To. Say. For. YOURSELVES!!” Each word was punctuated by a crack of the whip, the last word being one that hit the two. Lu snarled as Dice let out a broken sob. All of the pain that she already had from her healing injuries worsened exponentially. In a last ditch effort, she tried to talk to the fuming mafia boss.

“W-we’re so-sorry, Mr. Carnation. W-w-we were ju-u-st t-try-y-ying to-o-” Before Cabel could even finisher her stutter of a sentence, Devil exploded at the man.  
  
“GET FOOD YOU PRICK! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT?!! I AM LUCIFER DEVIL, DON’T YOU KNOW?” Devil was screaming at the top of his lungs. The more he went on, the more his voice grew distorted and deeper. He truly sounded like a demon, not like Dice cared. Cagney did though…

He yelled some sort of command, causing thousands of sentient plants and members to come to him. The act only made Lu angrier. His magic wasn’t full mastered, but he would try, dammit.

It was the most noble and terrifying thing Cabel has ever seen. Lu let out an unholy screech as his form changed. He grew several more eyes, all glowing a bloody crimson. Two new pairs of arms sprouted from his torso, tearing at the chains that held him. They broke with ease and he quickly went to Dice’s.

Since Cagney had chained them up in the middle of the tree trunk, they were not close to the ground. Fortunately, Devil’s magic allowed him to float for a bit as he released himself and Dice.

The girl yelled as she fell to the ground, only to be caught by Lu’s many new arms. Once both of them were on the ground again, Cagney’s mafia started to look a bit weary. Cagney, though, just looked more frustrated.

“What? Are are mad that ‘brats’ like us escaped you? Of course we would.” Dice looked the tall beanpole of a man straight in the eye. She let her eyes fire up with her own magic, ready to finally use her many cards that she loved. As Lu and Cabel took ready stances to charge, Dice looked at Devil with a look that said ‘Thank you for saving me’. He nodded at her with a smile and summoned fire from his hands.

  
Even with their skin being now torn in places, some showing bone, the two couldn’t be anymore ready to fight. Dice’s body was ready to shut down, but magic made it want to beat these people who caused such pain to her and Devil.

With a yell from both sides, they charged.

______

Cagney eventually left them, thinking they would die from their wounds. His own group had taken a major hit, many being injured in several places. The little girl’s cards could really pack a punch.

They were sharper than knives and could grow to be taller than her if she wanted. It did weaken her significantly though from how much it took from her, yet she would never be vulnerable to an attack. That’s when that little shit came in.

His fire would shoot out at those coming towards her and himself. His plants had almost died if it wasn’t for his healing. It took way too much out of him to use so much magic in defending his mafia. Cagney would never admit to himself that the two kids would have almost won. Good thing he used his most draining and powerful attack, vines.

They were practically an extension of his arms that were covered in spikes. It was gross to see how three of the boy’s summoned arms chopped off with black smoke covering them after he attacked him with various vines. Neither was it pleasant to see the little girl vomit a fountain of blood as he slashed her stomach.

He nearly felt actual guilt for all he did to the two children. It wasn’t his fault that they went into his territory. It’s a known rule that no one steps into another person’s terrain unless they wanted to die. It was how things worked…

And he definitely wasn’t wiping a few tear tracks that fell when he was thinking about how much he made them cry or scream.

It was just how the world works.

_____

“D---e! D--ce? Dice!” She could barely her Lu’s scared voice, the ringing in her ears were too loud. The girl couldn’t even see her friend’s tears that were streaming down his face. That was until she remember what happened. The stupid Plant-Whatever Mafia did this to them.

“I’m awake, I’m awake. What happened to you? Are you ok,” she weakly whispered. It hurt to talk and even breathe. Still, she wanted to know how her literally only friend was. He saved her way too many times today.

“Don’t worry, Dicey, I’m fine. I heal over time, so I won’t die. You got even more banged up than me. It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry!” Devil’s voice broke as he started to sob. Even though he used the nickname her dad teased her with, it was said with fondness and worry that she started to cry as well.

She got up from where she was lying and crawled up to Devil who was on his knees with his head in his hands. Cabel gave him a bear hug that he automatically reciprocated and they both held each other tightly as they sobbed. Devil leaned back and looked at Dice. At her beautiful, royal purple eyes. Even if one of them was discolored and damaged. They were so enrapturing. It was the same eyes he almost lost...

“Don’t e-ever die, o-ok? Please don’t,” as he whispered that he leaned in...

And kissed her on the cheek.

Dice’s tears increased in happiness after he did that. Her face was flushed but she didn’t back away. She has only known him for less than a day and he already means the world to her.

“I won’t. Not ever, I’ll always be here.” Cabel’s voice was still very hoarse but had a new affection strengthening it. She hugged him again, and he returned the gesture. They were in this together. Bleeding, hungry, or scared, it wouldn’t matter.

They made a deal with each other, and they would never break it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! I loved writing this chapter and introducing Cagney and his gang. Yes, Dice and Devil are badass and adorable. Don’t worry, I will explain their magic a bit more in the future. Probably tomorrow or so :P


	4. Songs and Bars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A song can do many things. It can help someone calm down or fall asleep. It can help express emotions to others. One of the biggest flaws that a song has is the attention it could bring. Especially the worst kind...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM ASTOUNDED BY ALL THE COMMENTS AND HITS I’VE RECEIVED. Thank you so much again :)
> 
> WARNING  
> Explicit language, Violence, Angst, and Inappropriate Nonconsensual Touching

Cabel, come on!” Devil waved his only friend over to a small alleyway. It was past midnight at the time, and they were both incredibly exhausted. The fight with Cagney and his mafia really tired them out, at least they were alive. It scared both of them beyond belief to see each other bleeding, especially Lu. He would never let Dice get hurt like that again, she was already extremely hurt as it is. A tired voice interrupted the boy from his melancholy thoughts.

“Where are we going, Lu? I thought there was nowhere for us to go,” Cabel rubbed her aching eyes with her damaged hands. Once she looked up, she saw how Devil was gesturing towards a large and rundown box at the end of the alleway they were in. The boy looked a bit anxious as he lead her to his temporary ‘home’.

As they entered the massive box, Dice let out an astonished gasp. There was stolen and sloppily made knick-knacks everywhere. The hard, cold ground was covered in rags, towels, old blankets, and random papers in an attempt to make it better walk or sit on. The only light source was a pile of broken up crayons in a tin pan that was lit on fire. She was surprised it casted quite a lot of light, making the room covered in a warm, orange glow.

Cabel looked to her left and saw a makeshift nest that was made out of the cleanest blankets and torn up animal plushies. Near the small ‘bed’ was several items of food, likely all stolen. From halfway eaten bags of chips to dropped granola bars, Devil had them all.

Out of everything Dice saw, the coins, money, and even small golden objects were the least she expected. She was too sore to care though, more interested in plopping down on one of the scattered towels.

“Sorry that it’s messy. Um, I usually don’t live in one place for more than a few weeks.” His tail flicked behind him nervously. “It’s home though.” He crawled towards where Dice was sitting and tapped her on the head. “You probably don’t wanna sleep there, Dicey. You might tip this whole box over!” Devil chuckled when Dice’s head snapped up.

“Oh, right! ‘M ‘sowy, Boss.” Dice slurred. She was so tired that she didn’t even notice how horribly she was pronouncing her words. When she looked up, she saw Devil motion his head to the pile of soft objects he deemed as his resting place.

Cabel slowly crawled over to the bed and immediately collapsed on the plushies. It felt like absolute heaven to her. She completely ignored how it hurt her entire body when she fell on it. The stuffed toys had almost no cushioning, but it was still the softest thing she had even slept, more likely pass out, on.

Devil plopped down beside her and could hear her soft breathing. It was a bit ragged from what happened to her today. Man, so much happened to his friend and it was all in one day. He looked at the back of her head, eyes looking down at her short, curled hair. She was really pretty to him. He shook his head at the silly thought.

Lu totally did not have a boy crush on Dice. Cabel was just a really nice girl who was smart, witty, cute, strong, and the only person that hadn’t abandoned him yet.

With that happy thought, he fell asleep, not noticing the shaking arms that wrapped around his torso.

_____

Years past, and the two still stood side by side. If one was hurt, the other would heal and mend their wounds and then get revenge on whoever did the deed. Dice and Devil helped each other gain money, steal, find food, and basically everything really. One time Lu had a nightmare of the time they first met, waking up sobbing and clawing at nothing.

They were on a random street at the time and it was pouring. Cabel was already right next to him as he thrashed around. Surrounding him with her arms, she shushed, and cradled the 13 year old. She quietly sang various songs to him to soothe him.

The moment Devil heard her hum a song, he immediately wanted her to sing to him whenever she could. As she held her trembling friend, she sang various songs from ‘Grease is the Word’ to ‘Counting Stars’ for quite a while, not minding one bit. When Lu finally dissolved into hiccups he tackled her in a bear hug, both soon falling back asleep in the same position

____

Cabel was now 15 and Lu was 17. They were currently behind a bar on Inkwell Isle One. The teens frequently visited the pub for its stage that was meant for karaoke night. Of course, no one cared to volunteer, but it made a perfect performing spot for the duo. Dice would sing a well known song as Devil danced to it. Luckily, the owner, Victor Porkrind, let them use his bar as a way of small profit. They didn’t get much money, but it was still money.

Porkrind had known them for almost a year now, and he was happy to help them. He was a towering and portly man and could easily throw Cabel like a ragdoll. It was evident he had magic to, his slightly pink skin and magical potions gave it away. Still, he was a big help to them.

  
“Alright, Dicey! Yah ready to show those assholes how damn talented you are at singing? I know you are!” Devil shook his best friend’s shoulders enthusiastically to get her pumped up. Even though, Lu didn’t need to since she had done it countless times already, he did it anyways. He had always loved to pretend to be her coach, it was hilarious.

“Sure, Boss. I’ll make their shitty socks fly off.” Cabel said flatly. She was already dressed in a dark purple halter-dress with black high heels. Her curled hair was pulled back in a beautiful bun that framed her face perfectly. Even if the formal wear was just an illusion spell, Lu got caught up on how amazing she looked.

She was even wearing makeup in the form of lipstick, eyeliner, and eyeshadow. Her vitiligo on her face was masked from another spell upon her insistence. Dice looked at Devil and fixed his tie. He was forced to wear a black suit with a red tie to look like he wasn’t homeless. Lu looked down at his ancient flip phone, a gift from Porkrind, and saw it was time for them to perform.

It was 10 P.M. which was the most popular time in Porkrind’s bar. They walked in to be greeted with shout from the drunken people. Most of them were either criminals or in other mafias, making them a risk to the teens. They knew they all had hidden knives or guns to hurt anyone that messed with them. Typical.

“Boss, I’m doing a calm song, ok? They seem to be in a ‘Romantic Mood’ today. You can go sit down and watch me. It’s one you’ll love. Trust me,” Cabel whispered to Devil with a wink.

He had to resist the urge to snarl at her words. ‘Romantic Mood’ was their codeword of an audience who was more horny than usual. The bastards would always hit on his best friend relentlessly on these days. He listened to Cabel and sat down in the very front of the stage, wanting to get the best view of her performance. He sent a ‘good luck!’ to Dice and watched the audience howl in approval once they saw her walk onto the stage.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” Cabel’s voice was akin to a purr and that got the audience riled up. “I see you’re doing good. How about a nice, soothing song, yeah?” She didn’t even need to ask at all, she already knew they would listen to a pretty lady on a stage. Dice cringed internally at the thought, but that was how things worked.

She still hated it though. Once she gestured to Porkrind to start the song she breathed in and looked at Lu for reassurance. He smiled and gave a big thumbs up. A soft piano was heard, causing silence to wash over everyone.

“ _When I was a child, my eyes were clear, I saw the good side. That’s the kind of second sight that doesn’t last to long.”_ Dice’s voice was soft and clear as she started to sing, everyone already had their eyes glued on her. “ _Then when I was lost, I heard a voice that brought me healing. That’s the kind of special hope he brought me with his song.”_

Devil sat shell-shocked at Cabel. It sounded so much like _**Dice**_. The passion, the strength, everything the song sounded like just captured the essence of her so much. Even the lyrics made him think of her own life. When she was younger, she had immediately been beaten down by everyone: mafias, people, her parents…

“ _People only saw the doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. But he was just a lonely little boy to me. With his sweet and gentle touch, he sure unlocked my soul.”_ Dice grew more lost with the song. She loved it because of what it meant to her. Especially, it reminded her of Lu so much.

It was true, everyone saw him as a menace and pure evil, but Dice saw a sweet and silly person that truly had a caring soul. Because of him, she got to know what true laughter, happiness, kindness, and everything else felt like.

She continued on with a new emotion she never felt before. “ _So in return, I surely want to help to set him free. Yeah, now I wanna see him fly, fly. I’ll be your alibi, my baby. Fly, fly, fly away. We didn’t get to say goodbye, goodbye. No need to tell me why, my baby. Maybe it’s because you’ll fly back home to me one day.”_ Her eyes had unconsciously shut. She couldn't hear the praise of the audience or see the awed look on Lu’s face.

It would be the understatement of the century to say that Devil was impressed by Dice’s singing. He was almost in tears as he heard the verses. How could Dice sing like she was referring to Lu? He didn’t know and frankly, he didn’t care. He just continued to watch as Cabel threw her whole life and soul into this song.  
  
‘’ _Men who you call real were really fakes who left me nothing. But this man you call a fake gave something real. I’ve known cruel, cruel, men with Christian names that taught me manners._ ” Dice could feel the anger in her voice as she sang that, remembering how everybody called Devil a fraud or pathetic.

It was horrible to hear them say that, and even harder to see Lu breakdown once they were alone. She started to belt, thinking of her best friend, “ _But this man without a name taught me how to feel. They only saw the magic tricks, the smoke, the mirrors. Was I the only one to ever see the boy?”_ Cabel was so into the song, she didn’t see the tears prickling her eyes.

Devil let his tears fall as he watched. He didn’t even care when he heard a man next to him mutter ‘pussy’. His attention was solely on Dice, and he couldn’t help but remember all the times she had comforted him. She was so amazing and brave, he couldn’t ask for a better friend to have. As he saw hear voice start to break, he saw how she was looking at him.

“ _So, now, they want to clip his precious wings and bring him down. But in his heart and soul’s the kind of good they can’t destroy. Yeah, now, I want to see him fly, fly. I’ll be your alibi, my baby. Fly, fly, fly away.”_ Her voice grew stronger as she felt the impact of the song. “ _We didn’t get to say goodbye, goodbye. No need to tell me why, my baby. Maybe, it’s because you’ll fly back home to me one day.”_ Dice now realised that she was looking at Lu, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Her best friend. Her partner in crime. Her everything.

The audience was going wild with some being driven to tears. Lu could only sob as he hear Cabel belt out the notes, oh so _beautifully_ , “ _Baby, when you’re in the clouds, please keep a lookout. Maybe, darling, find a hideaway for you and I, you and I!”_ Dice had tears streaming down her face as she wailed out the verses in a way that only Dice could do.

Everyone was screaming as she hit the last note. Devil was still crying, but his eyes were shining. He looked into her eyes, one mismatched with scars surrounding it but beautiful and the other a brilliant purple that he was always transfixed by.

“ _And, now, I wanna see you fly, fly. I’ll be your alibi my baby. Fly, fly, fly away. We didn’t get to say goodbye, goodbye. No need to tell me why, my baby. Maybe it’s because you’ll fly back home to me one day.”_ Dice voice grew quieter as she near the end of the song. “ _Maybe it’s because you’ll fly back home to me one day. Maybe it’s because you’ll fly back home to me one day. And I’ll be waiting for you there. You will fly back home to me one day.”_ Cabel finished with a smile and a bow.

Devil stood up to go and hug the living daylights out of her before he stopped in horror.

The moment dice went down the stair, multiple guys surrounded her, all of them were

Drunk…  
Horny….  
**And**. **Touching**. **Her**.

“WHAT THE FUCK! GET OFF ME NOW!” Dice pushed them pack but there were too many. She heard ‘Strip, Baby!’ and ‘Come on, you know you’re a hottie.’ and so much more lewd things. One of them was tearing at her dress and gripping her waist. Another was caressing her neck.  
Just like her. Father.

She didn’t care that Porkrind was calling the police or that Devil was running towards her with fire literally in his eyes. Dice summoned her cards and heated them up with her own loathing and hate for these humans.

“ENOUGH! I SEE HOW YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT ME LIKE I AM A WHORE. HOW ABOUT I LET YOU REALLY SEE ME?!!” Cabel heard the approving yells, grunts, and even moans. Good. She aimed her multitude of cards and…

Each hit each man in. Both. Of. Their. Eyes. Screaming started and Devil swooped Cabel in his arms and ran out of the bar, yelling a ‘Thanks’ to Porkrind. She didn’t know that she was hyperventilating until everything turned black.

_____

“DICE! Are you okay?” Devil’s frantic voice was the first thing she heard. It relaxed her immediately to hear his familiar voice. Her head was on his lap and she could feel his soothing fingers go go through her hair.

The illusion had worn off, so she was thankfully back in her old shirt and shorts and messy hair. Devil pressed his face against her head and kissed her hair. It was a comforting ritual they had developed for each other whenever one was extremely hurt or distraught. Dice cuddled closer to her friend who naturally shedded off heat.

“I’m fine. I still remembered what happened, unfortunately. At least, I showed them, right?” Dice let out a bittersweet chuckle as she replayed the scene in her head.

“Yeah, hon, yah showed them good. That’s why you don’t mess with King Dice.” Devil usually gave her pet names constantly, only in private though. Cabel didn’t mind one bit. She especially loved ‘King Dice’. It had a sweet ring to it.

The pair fell asleep inside their makeshift bed in another cardboard box. Lu had learned how to increase or decrease the size of objects, so he happily enlarged the box to the point where Dice could nearly stand in it. Before they could be full gifted with sleep, they heard an old voice and gentle knock.

“Excuse me, do you need some help? I could hear the commotion from my house. I hope you two are alright.” Devil and Dice jumped up from their position to look at the entrance of their ‘house’ in mortification.

It was none other than the one and only.

Elder Kettle.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! I loved and hated writing this bc of what happened to Dice. Still, she is not one to mess with!
> 
> Extra info:  
> If you’re wondering the song Cabel sings throughout the chapter it’s called “Fly, Fly Away” from Catch me if You Can. It’s an amazing song and I highly recommend you ready it :)
> 
> Also, YES. We get Elder Kettle and Porkrind now! Don’t worry, a certain cup and mug will appear soon...


	5. An Elder’s Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When push comes to shove, survival is of the upmost importance. No matter the cost. Or danger. Or pure cuteness. The Inkwell Isles are a dangerous place with different kinds of people. Yet, not all of them are horrible. They really aren’t. Just don’t get on their bad side...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOLEY MOTHER! I have not updated in so long! I’m so sorry! I had to take a break from this because of academic and family stuff... Here is an extra long chapter! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warning:  
> Violence and Swearing (there are teens in this...)

“OH HELL NO. WE ARE NOT GOING WITH HIM, CABEL! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO HE IS?!!” Devil screeched as he pulled Dice closer to him. His pointed ears were twitching and his tail was thrashing around. Cabel put her hand on his mouth to shut him up. The old man definitely could hear them. Cardboard isn't very soundproof…

“Will you be quiet, Boss! He can hear us, and I’m pretty sure the guy is retired. Doesn’t he have grandchildren or something?” Dice was whispering as well as she could. She naturally had a boisterous voice like Devil’s.

They froze when they heard a deep and gravly chuckle from the old man. It was almost terrifying. This man used to be the largest mafia boss in all of the Inkwell Isles before Satan and his little Casino crew came in. Now, he was respected by everyone, but every now and then idiots would come to his house and try to murder or rob him. It never ended will for those people.  
.  
.  
.

That was because they would leave sobbing from the guilt that Elder Kettle gave them. He was so kind that he let them stay for a cup of coffee or tea and talk about why they did that. Although, if anyone tried to hurt his grandsons, he wouldn't be as humble. Let’s just say there’s another reason why his cane is so bulky…

“I’m sorry if I scared you, children. I mean no harm at all. You two seemed like you need a helping hand. You can stay in my house, free of charge. Of course, it is your choices, not my own.” The man opened the ‘door’ of their makeshift shelter and smiled warmly. His hair was an greying brown that was cut neatly. Same thing for his mustache. His eyes were a coffee brown and shined with wisdom and peace.

He really had become one of the sweetest people in the isles. Just don’t mess with his grandkids if you want to have your life…or limbs.

“We aren’t kids, well, Cable still is.” Devil muttered under his breath. Dice delivered an quick elbow to his gut. She always had great accuracy. She looked at Lu again and gave him a glare. He coughed awkwardly and sighed.

“Alright, we accept your offer. Mr. Kettle…” Lu said begrudgingly. Dice patted his shoulder and followed Elder out of their ‘home’.

  
_____________________

 

“Woah, this is a nice place, Sir Kettle. Your house is a mansion! Oh my goodness this is the shit! Holy Hell!” Dice squealed in excitement. She had always had a taste for luxury, but never had the opportunity to afford it. Devil did steal an earring that dangled underneath her ear. At the end it had a purple spotted die on it… It was much appreciated though, despite the pun. She wore it all day everyday, it was the only ‘fancy’ thing she had.

“Ah, Cabel, you do not need to address me so formally. Also, please be akin to watch your language.” Elder Kettle laughed good naturally. They had told them their names and Kettle didn’t mind the history behind them. Still, It was a bit confusing why they had to watch what they say though. They were all old enough to hear it. They weren’t children...Oh.

Shit.

“O-oh. Is tha-at b-because of you sons-s?” Dice stuttered. They were probably going to die in a heartbeat now. Why did she agree to this?! Just as thing couldn’t get any worse, Kettle paused in front of the grand, wooden door of his home and looked at the two teens that were hunched together.

“Why of course. Don’t you know I have two grandsons? Their mother was my daughter and their father was an amazing man. Both of them were wonderful. Too bad they died at the hands the Devil’s Casino. So, I must do something before I let you two in.” As if his voice couldn’t go any deeper, Kettle added, “Oh, and you best be on your best behavior.” He opened the door and disappearing into the many rooms. A sound was heard and the door slammed shut. 

  
“Why the FUCK did I let you convince me to do this?!!!! WE ARE GOING TO DIE. We need to leave, NOW.” Devil grabbed Dice’s hand and started to walk away. He didn’t even take that many steps before an iron fence surrounded them.

“Well, it’s now or never, Boss. We have to do this. This could be the chance we needed to finally show everyone that we aren’t pathetic brats! He won’t kill us, I know it. Besides, you are Lu Devil, the true Prince of Sin, and I am your loyal partner. We can do this.” Cabel gently took her hand out of his and started walked to the door with a determined gate, eyes igniting with magic. Her cards were already in her hands and around her.

“You coming?”

Devil knew the exact answer and followed her into the house.

She was right. This might be their only chance to show the world how strong they can be.  
_____________________

“Sooooo, where do we go?” The moment the pair knocked on the door, it opened and revealed a pitch black space. They had been wandering around for a few minutes and Lu was growing antsy. He hated not knowing things.  
“I don’t know. Maybe we just stay still for awhile until-”

**BAM!!!**

A giant flamethrower shot out a fireball towards them. It seemed to be enchanted to be that powerful. Then more noises were heard, like knives being thrown. When the two looked around, the noises were from razor sharp kitchen utensils that had a mind of its own. There were hundreds of them.

  
Great. A sentient army of kitchen supplies and a magical flamethrower. How amazing….

  
“HOLY SHIT! GET DOWN!” Devil ducked as another fireball was shot out. He activated his own magic and summoned a wall of fire to protect himself and Dice. Wait.. Dice wasn’t with him!

“Dice! Dice! Where the fuck are you?!! I need you to stick by me! How can I pro-”

“LITTLE BUSY HERE BOSS!” Dice was summersaulting and ducking adn doing everything she could do to avoid the flying projectiles from hitting her. She was throwing her cards as fast and as accurate as she could. One of her spades was enlarged to act a shield for her. Some spoons and spatulas had already left harsh cuts on her. She was sprinting to avoid them and she threw another card at a fork that was going straight for her neck.

“Let me help you! I can-”

“NO! I THINK ELDER KETTLE MEANT TO DO THIS! WE NEED TO SHOW HIM WE CAN DEFEND OURSELVES. YOU HAVE FIRE WHILE I DON’T. GO FIGHT THAT HUNK OF FLAMING SHIT. GOT IT?” Dice voice was extremely hoarse from screaming and running so much but she meant business.

“Got it! Don’t die on me!” She gave a curt nod and summoned some pink dice that were cold to the touch. She threw it in the air and they magically rolled themselved. They rolled a seven, and three pips on one of them shot a rose colored ice towards the army while the other shot four purple ice beams. The lighter one frosted them all over while the darker one made them completely frozen.

It wouldn’t last long though, she wasn’t that strong yet. The utensils were already glowing, heating themselves up to escape. The ones that she missed were already on her tail. She hadn’t stopped running, and she was growing tired.

While Dice used ice to aid her, Devil used the complete opposite. Red hot fire. He shot out a multitude of fireballs to block the beam of fire from the weapon. His tail got burned as he skidded to the right to avoid the flames.

“Ow! You piece of shit! You’ll pay for that!” Devil snarled as he started to create two new pairs of arms and eyes. He summoned sparks of black fire that invaded the insides of the flamethrower. He started to have tears flow down his face from his many eyes, but they weren’t because he was sad. No. They were made from boiling hot, red acid.

Before the tears went down on the floor, he suspended them in the air and shot them toward the machine. It was already weakening from the black fire that invaded its insides. The acid started to melt its nozzle.

“Haha! Look at you! You thought you could kill me, but you were so damn wro-“ He didn’t even get to finish his sentence from the ball of molten metal came toward him. He could take A LOT of heat, but this was a new for him.

“BOSS!” Dice was gasping for air as she started running as fast as her exhausted legs could. Her lungs and whole body were screaming for her to stop and rest, but she didn’t even slow down.

The razor sharp utensils took Cabel’s distraction to attack her. The knives and forks were in the middle of the troop. The flew straight toward her, stabbing her deeply in her entire back.

Devil was shaking like a leaf from the molten metal that was dripping off of him. His grey skin was already turning black from the molten. He couldn’t think of the right spell to cast or magic to summon to defend himself and his only friend.

When he thought of Dice, his head snapped up to see her entire faded, blue shirt coated in blood. Her face was being mercilessly attacked by whisks, spoons, and everything you can find in a kitchen. The forks and knives were stabbing here everywhere. Her already scarred legs were being littered in deep gashes the were started to bleed heavily.

Dice looked at him as well with bloody tears flowing down her face. She spit out even more blood and whispered something that was too quiet to hear. Just after she said that, a steak knife went right into her throat. Her hands were glowing an emerald green and her left eye was ignited with a purple and green flare. Cabel’s right eye was smoking a light grey. The utensils around her started to back off.

Devil watched as Dice stood up and started kicking most of the tools around her with deadly accuracy. Lu was still trapped underneath the metal, unable to move without unbearable pain surging through him. One of his last tricks would be a big risk, but he had no choice. With a roar, he ignited himself on fire and grew five times his normal height and width.

Cabel couldn’t even think anymore, not caring of the bleeding wounds that covered her body. Her magic was so spent, but she had never felt more powerful. She was solely focused on beating the shit out of these damn kitchen supplies.

Her cards had grown even sharper and were covered by a purple glow. The diamonds surged forward and started slicing all the forks and knives in half. The clubs started beating the spoons and whisks to a pulp. The hearts were more skittish and emotional than the rest. Using their quick movements, they confused the spatulas and wooden spoons, just for Dice.

With her spades surrounding her and two in each of her hand. She ran into to group her hearts were surrounding and started to break them with a punch or a kick. Her spades fought off the many spatulas with frightening ease. The hearts helped the army of wooden spoons remain confused as Dice attacked them.

She didn’t even have the capacity to hear the roar behind her.

Devil had transformed into a beast. His normally shaggy, black hair had grown even messier and longer. He was around 7”4 and looked like a tank. His teeth were naturally sharp, but they now were so long and thick, not all of them could fit into his mouth. Speaking of his mouth, there was fire and smoke emitted from it as Lu let out a deep breath. His skin was still gray, yet it was covered in glowing and golden marking that looked like they were in Latin.

The beast-no- Lucifer walked on all fours, sharp claws clacking on the metal floor. As we crawled toward the flamethrower and it’s new partners, two smaller ones that had blades attached to them. His tongue flicked out of his mouth, looking exactly like a snakes. His eyes were shining a bright yellow and red. A black mist surrounded him as continued to stalk forward. The flames hit him not too long afterwards, but he didn’t even care.

After creating a massive ball of white hot fire, Lu shot it at the cursed machinery. It melted completely and was rendered useless. He growled and stood up again. His eyes bore into Cabel’s back and he started to quietly walk to her. She looked like she could kill anyone in an instant and not break a sweat. Her cards were everywhere, small killing machines that she adored. Once he got close enough…

Devil pounced on Cabel just as the utensils were defeated.  
.  
.  
.

“BOSS! STOP. WHAT THE HELL?!! L-LU!” Dice squirmed as her friend curled himself around her, purring like a kitten. She already knew how cuddly Devil was and gave him a big hug. She hurt all over and she could barely breathe.

“ **SORRY. I should move.** ” Lu’s voice had grown extremely deep, yet his regular tone was still there.

He went off of Dice and started to morph into his regular self… His regular self that was so much smaller. Being 5’8 wasn’t fun when your friend was 5’10 already and two years younger than you…

“Okay. We survived and- OH MY GOD! NOOOO!” Dice groaned miserably into her dirty hands when she saw another door open. Devil whined but started walking towards it with a totally done look on his face.  
____________________

The room was…adorable! It was surrounded by baby toys and had blue and red walls. A bit weird to have two different colors, but still cute.

“Awww. It’s so cute? Not deadly? Woah look at that, Boss!” Dice ran toward two red and blue bundles on a large bed. Her hair was so messy and she was still bloody and bruised, yet she didn’t care. She stood in shock when she lightly tugged off a bit of the blue bundle in front of her.

Lu was too weirded out to speak, but he went to Dice and looked at the red bundle. Gently tugging it off, he saw something that he almost screamed at.

Two, small toddlers wrapped like a burrito were I front of them. Before Cabel could start to coo at them, they disappeared and a certain old man came in.

“Well done. You passed. Welcome to the Cup Household.” Elder Kettle smiled and made a motion for them to follow. They wordlessly obeyed as he lead them to a large shelf filled with potions.

“What’s that? Poison?” Devil shuddered as he looked at he ominous liquids.

“No, young man. These are potions that are meant to help yourself and others. I greatly apologize for the pain, but I had to make sure you were ready and did not have ill intent.” Kettle laughed and grabbed two, light pink bottles.

“What do you mean ready?” Dice asked suspiciously.

“Well, to be my apprentices and future babysitters.” Elder chucked again and looked at the two, mirth in his ages eyes. Before the two could speak, he handed them each a potion and smiled.  
  
“Drink up. This will heal all of your injuries from you battle. You two are actually extremely powerful, you know,” Kettle shook his head and looked upstairs.

His house was actually very nice and warm when there wasn’t anything wanting to kill you. The metal room the two were in seemed to disappear. His house looked old fashioned but still had technology the pair could only dream of. There was a Mac Computer, a refrigerator with a scream on it, and so much more. It was like they were in a cabin that was much more luxurious but at the same time humbling.

“O-okay. Let’s drink this.” Dice was nervous as she drank the sweet liquid. All of her injuries healed and there were no scars except her old ones present. Seeing the results of Cabel, Devil quickly followed suit.

“Looks like you two are all healed. Now, how about you come with me to see the real trouble makers?”

Without a second thought, Dice nodded her head and followed him, practically dragging Lu with her.  
________________

“STAND BACK MUGS! THE FLYING GUN IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU.” A certain six year old said. His twin brother giggled and jumped off of his bed.

“THANKS CUPPY! THE DUST DRAGON IS COMING TOWARDS YOU. YOU GOTTA RUN!” Cuphead quickly rolled over and crawled underneath his bed. They were both laughing like crazy before they heard a knock at the door.

“Cuphead and Mugman, come out you two. We have some knew guests!” They heard their grandpa say. They quickly ran to the door and did Rock Paper Scissors to see who will open it. Cuphead won and opened the door.

They saw a weird gray person that looked like he was a soldier. Oh! And maybe a dragon from his tail and horns! They looked to the person next to him and saw…

_A beautiful warrior princess…_

“Oh I’m not a princess whatsoever, but you sure are a couple of princes!” Dice cooed at the boys. Cuphead didn’t know he said that out loud! Mugman was looking at him smugly and blew a raspberry towards him.

“Why thank you! I am Charlie Cuphead and this here is my twin broth-“ Mugman put his hand on his brother’s mouth.

“I am Michael Mugman! Sorry about my brother, he’s so stupid.” Michael crossed his arms and pouted. Cuphead flicked his nose as revenge.

“Boys, behave yourselves. These two have gone through a lot.” Elder Kettle looked stern but had a smile on his face.

“Ha! I like both of yah! I am Lu Devil and this is-“

“I’m Cabel King Dice. Don’t worry, kid, he’s also stupid to.” Dice winked at Mugman and he laughed.

Charlie looked at Lu and made a face at him. Only to have him make an even crazier one at him. How can someone look like a rat by just wrinkling their nose?!

As the teens and children chatted an alarm was sound and Kettle frowned deeply. The kids scurried toward their grandpa and their eyes started to well with tears.

“Ah, just what I needed. Someone needs me immediately.” Kettle pinched his nose and huffed.

“I’m so sorry for the short notice but I need you two to take care of them. All their babysitters have quit after only a day with them. I have not had anyone want to babysit them for months. You both are strong and the children look like they’ve already grown attached. Can you do this? I’m not sure how long this will take.” Kettle looked at them with a serious and steely expression.

“Of course. We won’t let you down. You gave us this opportunity and we won’t waste it.” Dice nodded at him and smiled. Devil put a hand on her shoulders and gave Kettle an assuring look.

With a large hug, Kettle left his boys and headed out. There was serious trouble going on in the Second Isle and he needed to manage it.  
______________

No one told them how to take care of children… They were fucked….

Mugman and Cuphead started to sob after Elder Kettle left. The two teens were left standing awkwardly. Dice was better at this emotional stuff than Lu was. She padded toward the two and sat down, humming a sweet melody. It was from the song “Troublemaker”. It isn’t really a soft song, but she made it sweet and soothing.

Devil walked over and summoned a friendly ball of glam that was shaped like a horse. The children sobs turned into hiccups as they looked around them. There were fire animals running around and cards were purring and rubbing themselves against them.

“T-Thank you.” Mugman whispered and settled into Dice’s lap. He hugged her and showed no sign of letting go. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back, gentle rocking herself and the six-year-old.

Cuphead was a bit more stubborn but ran towards Lu and buried his head into his torso. He was a lot warmer than anyone Cuphead had hugged and he love the warmth. Devil was a bit shocked but carefully put his arms on the boy and soothingly patted his back. He also rocked himself and Charlie back and forth.

After a few minutes, the boys had fell asleep. The two were going to put them to bed but Cuphead woke up suddenly and yelled.

“Can we get some food! Elder Kettle left before dinner and we’re hungry!” Cuphead pouted just like Mugman and his brother just smiled sheepishly and looked at Dice.

“Well, I don’t really know how to cook. Um, lets see what you two have.” Cabel unconsciously picked Mugman up and he just wrapped his small arms around her neck. Cuphead just ran ahead of them to show them the grand kitchen.

Dice plopped Mugman on the grey sofa, only to have him follow his brother into the kitchen.

“Before we start, we are gonna have a fashion show!” Charlie had a whisk in his hand, acting like it was a microphone. His brother stood proudly and puffed out his chest.

“Oh, how wonderful! Please show us!” Dice clapped along with Devil. Cuphead giggled and made a serious expressions

“This here folks… is MICHAEL MUGMAN! Look at his grace!” Mugman walked throughout the kitchen and posed when he was facing the two new babysitters.

To be honest, Mugman did look graceful. His hair was so blonde it looked white and it was peppered with navy blue streaks. He had freckles all over his pale body and his bright blue eyes sparkled with childish glee. He did some more poses and winked at Cabel before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Devil was whooping and clapping at the boy, making him more excited. He unintentionally cooed at him along with Dice. Cabel was clapping and laughing her ass off.

Cuphead handed the ‘microphone’ to Mugman and he took on the role of the announcer.

“Here we have… The one… The only… CHARLIE CUPHEAD!” Charlie strutted down the kitchen and tripped over his socks. He quickly recovered and walked up towards the teens with more confidence than his brother.

He did look a lot like his brother, only having a few differences. His hair was a bit darker and curlier and had red streaks instead of blue. His eyes were a vibrant red, brighter than Devil’s crimson ones. The boy’s skin was also a little bit tanner and he only had freckles on his face.

Needless to say, they were both adorable.

Devil and Dice clapped and whopped for him. He bowed and put his hands on his hips.

“Now! Time for food!” Cuphead walked toward the pantry and took out various, sugary cereals and opened the fridge and got out some milk and apple juice.

“We’re too short to reach the bowls, sooo.” Michael looked up at Lu and Cabel with puppy dog eyes. They gladly got out two bowls and cups.

The bowls were red and blue and so were the cups. They really liked those colors…

“Thank yah!” Cuphead said with his mouth full of Cocoa Pebbles. His red cup was filled with milk drenched in chocolate syrup which he drank greedily.

“Thank you!” Mugman laughed out when Cuphead spilled some of his milk on himself. He had picked apple juice to drink and he had Fruity Pebbles with regular milk.

Dice and Devil sat down at the table and watched the two eat. They started all joking about cereals and food until Cuphead spilled more milk on his white shirt.

“Want me to get you a new one, Cuphead?” Dice got up and walked up the stairs, hearing faint ‘Thanks’ behind her. She had a good memory and traveled up the stairs to the children’s room.

.

.

.

“Want to play a prank on her?” Charlie immediately said the moment she disappeared upstairs. Mugman scowled but looked a bit mischievous as well. Devil really liked these two now.

“Oh fu- fudge yeah!” Devil pumped his fist in the air. They boys gathered together and made the plan.  
  
This was gonna be good…

____________

Dice came down with a grey shirt with a dinosaur on it. She stopped in her tracks when she saw how pitch black the living room was. Sure it was around 7 P.M. , but they had turned on the lights.

She continues down the stairs and heard a bang and scratching. Dice froze and summoned one diamond just in case.

“Guys? You da- darn well shouldn’t be messing with me.” Dice remember to watch her language, who knows what would happen if Elder Kettle found out that his boys were repeating her swears.

A loud wail startled her and she headed towards the kitchen. Her diamond was glowing as bright as she could make it at the moment, and she was able to make out a small silhouette. She to it.

“Mugman? Cuphead? Are you ok?” She whispered to the shadow. She screamed once she saw the bloody face of Mugman.

“OH MY G- _AHHHHHH!_ ” Mugman jumped out at her and was giggling maniacally. She felt a scratch behind her and looked back.

Cuphead had an insane smile on his face and held a shaking knife that was dripping with blood. Before she could scream again. A low snarl was heard.

All she could see were golden and crimson eyes. _Snake eyes._ Three screams erupted and the lights turned on.

Dice was still screaming as the three boys were cackling in laughter. She opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Lu was nowhere to be seen though. That was until he whispered into her ear, “It’s free real estate.”  
  
“OH MY GOODNESS ME, TOMATO JUICE IS IN A BLOODY MARY!!!” Dice yelled again and covered her mouth. She knew she was trying not to curse, but she did not know why she would say something so…. _weird_ …

“WHAT THE HE- HECK WAS THAT! OH MY GOSH, DICE! YOU ARE SO JUMPY!” Lu was howling in laughter and the boys were laughing so hard you couldn’t hear it. Dice diamond playfully bonked Devil on the head and returned back to her with a satisfied look.

“Well, well, Well… Looks like I got a couple of pranksters, huh?” Cabel looked menacing as she looked down on all three of them. She was the tallest in the room. Dice grinned from ear to ear and motioned for the cowering boys to follow her.

“Come on you three… I think you all need a makeover.”

Cuphead and Devil looked at each other in fear while Mugman gladly ran ahead and held onto Dice’s hand.

This was going to be so _wonderful_ ….

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was again a fun chapter to write! I should be updating tomorrow since I have much more free time. Also, yes, Elder Kettle is still a big thing in the isles even if he is retired. Since this is a modern time, there is memes ;)... I hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reading :)


	6. New Findings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the he-”
> 
> “HELLO, YOUNG ONE! YOU MUST BE NEW HERE!” A ghostly but cheerful voice interrupted. Dice flug herself in the bathtub that was basically a pool. A spear appeared, right in front of her face. After half a minute of tense silence, Dice finally saw the owner of the weapon. 
> 
> A young woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I’m back and better than ever! This Fic is coming back! During this time, I found out how wonder it was to write on other subjects. That included, Marvel, Undertale, and How To Train Your Dragon. Now, this was my very first Fic I ever wrote. It had many, many grammar and spelling mistakes because I wasn’t as meticulous with my editing. You’ll probably be able to tell where the old writing ends and the new one begins. I will not give up on this Fic and this will not be abandoned again. Enjoy!

Following Mugman and Dice to a large bathroom was like walking to Hell for Cuphead and Devil.  When Lu looked down, he saw the huge pout Charlie had on his face. It made him want to pout to for some reason.

“Alright you two, it’s time for your new looks. Pranksters have to look their best.” Cabel opened the door to the grand bathroom and was smiling impossibly wide. Michael was holding her hand and had the same exact smile on his face.

Mugman walked over to a built in tablet on the marble counter and entered a series of motions. After a few seconds, the massive mirror flicked and revealed a massive screen. 

Cuphead didn’t even seem surprised and just folded his arms and continued to whine. 

“Mugs, I don’t wanna play dress up right now!” Charlie stomped his foot and looked at Devil with pleading eyes. The ladder was still staring in awe at the ‘mirror’. On his left was Dice who was just as shocked, hands covering her mouth to hide a screech of excitement. 

“Do we have to do this now?” Cuphead brought the teens back to reality and Dice frowned. Looking at the mirror, she saw a digital clock and saw it was 7:30. 

“When’s your bedtime, kid?” Devil kneeled down to be the same height as Charlie and put his clawed hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

“It’s supposed to be 8:00 P.M. . Elder Kettle always wanted us to get as much sleep as possible. Our magic has been getting stronger lately, so we need all the rest we can get!” Cuphead puffed up his chest at his proclamation. He and Mugman were now able to shoot things! FROM THEIR FINGERS!

Dice and Devil froze and made eye contact. As the teens looked at each other in horror, the twins started an animated conversation about their magic. It only made the two want to break down at the children. They were so happy and lively….People with magic were automatically destined to be bad. 

“Well, that’s amazing you two! How about you guys get ready for bed. We will come check on you in a bit.” Dice spoke in a forced, happy voice. The children nodded and ran to go get their pajamas on. Once they were gone, Cabel released a shaky sigh. 

“They already have magic, Boss! What are we going to do?” Dice grabbed her mangled hair in panic. Lu looked at her strangely.

“What do you mean? We’ve only known these kids for less than a day. What’s the worst that could happen?” Devil looked confused at her. He was even more surprised to see her look at him with pure fury and disgust. They never fought. The only things the argued about were stupid and were resolved quite quickly. Dice always was rational and preferred to talk things out, it was extremely rare for her to act on impulse. 

In fact, he had never seen his friend so furious at him before. Her eyes were faintly growing a vibrant green. She looked like a viper, ready to strike at any moment. Lu backed up and put his hand on the doorknob of the fancy bathroom. He was always a lot more emotional and brash than her, so it felt odd to be the one to defuse the situation. 

“Why are you looking like me like that. It’s true, we barely know them, but I can see the risks. They’re likeable kids. Hell, I already care about them too.” He tried to sympathise with her, attempting to calm her down. Lu froze when he saw tears flow down her face. Seeing so much emotions so suddenly from Cabel was alien to him. She lifted her bruised hand up and punched the counter, collapsing into wracking sobs that shook her thin frame.  Without a second thought, Lu immediately walked towards her. When he was only a few steps away from her, she screamed and backed away from him. 

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME. Y-you idiot! I’ll kill you before you can even take another step.” Dice’s voice was shaky but had a hidden terror in it. 

“Dice, what the hell has gotten in to yo-”

“JUST GET OUT!” Dice snapped at her friend, emptiness consuming her. She wanted to cry more or go an immediately explain herself, yet she didn’t move from her corner in the bathroom. Cabel watched as Lu gave a hurt glance and hesitant walked away.

__________________________

Devil still couldn't register what just happened. Cabel had just randomly started screaming and acting like a crazy person. He didn’t want to leave her alone, but he couldn’t stand being in that room anymore. Something about that bathroom made him feel like he was trespassing into a sacred place. He shuddered and continued to walk the vast halls of the Cup Household.

Without even noticing, he had walked to the boys’ room. Well, it was one of the only rooms he had entered. Once he opened the door, the twin catapulted onto him and started babbling nonsense towards him. 

“Where were you?!! You were gone for YEARS!!” Cuphead tugged on his shabby pants that had burn marks and ripps everywhere. Mugman was more...civil...about it and was holding his arm with his left hand. 

“Just havin’ a chat with Dicey. She wanted to..uh… clean up a bit and get to know your house! It is pretty bog after all, huh?” Devil ruffled each of the boy’s unique hair, getting a giggle out of both of them. 

“Okie. How long will she take?” Mugman looked up at the older boy with sad eyes. It was obvious that Michael preferred Cabel over himself. Lu knew Dice wasn’t going to visit any time soon. He frowned and started walking toward the twin’s decorated bookshelf. 

“She’s gonna take a while, kid. Cabel did say she wanted you two to be asleep when she’s done and comes to check on you. Now, how about I read you two a story?” Charlie jumped up and down in place for a few seconds before running to his bed. 

“YES! Mugs and I already brushed our teeth and everything! Oh! Can you make up a story? The ones we have in that stupid shelf are way to boring.” Devil tried to hide his discomfort from the six-year-old. It was still strange to see how advanced their grammar, speech, and just  _ everything were. _

“What Cups means is that there isn’t enough killing or money and stuff. Elder Kettle has always said we were too mature for our age.” Mugman was spread out on his far neater bed with his chin resting on his hands. Devil had never seen a  child look so bored before. 

Lu chuckled and went to sat on Cupheads red bed with wooden frames and A LOT of stickers. The boy was furiously patting on an open spot on his messy bed, so the teen didn’t have much of a choice. He was quite good at telling tales. He  _ was  _ The Prince of Lies….kind of... Also, Devil had already lied to both of them the moment he walked in. With another laugh, Lucifer Devil tried to tell two six-year-olds a story that was age appropriate….

“Ok, so...Once upon a time, there was the beautiful crayon that fell in love with a candle. It is a tragic story but a meaningful one. Now the crayon’s name was Patricia and-.....”

.

.

.

.

.

If only Dice could hear Devil’s nonsense of a story. 

The girl was now trying to stand up, failing miserably. After a few minutes of struggling, Dice used the large counter to support her. Her legs were still shaking severely, but her death grip on the bathroom counter kept her from falling for the hundredth time. 

“Ok, ok. L-let’s calm-m down. Put your head together Cabel.” She took several deep breaths to calm her racing mind. Dice had no idea what came over her. It was like she was… possessed. 

**BEEP** **BEEP**

Cabel’s head snapped up when she heard a high pitched noise coming from the grand mirror… If she could even call it that. It looked like a giant screen that had powered up. Blue light flooded the whole room. Various pieces of information appeared.

“What the he-”

“HELLO, YOUNG ONE! YOU MUST NEW HERE!” A ghostly but cheerful voice interrupted. Dice flug herself in the bathtub that was basically a pool.  She tried to hide beneath the various bath toys and shampoo bottles, all in vain. The golden glow that surrounded the spirit wrapped itself around the items the teen was hiding behind, lifting them up with ease. 

Before Dice could escape the haunted bathroom, a long spear blocked her way. Her eyes started to wander up the silver spear to see who was wielding it. If she was going to die now, at least she could know who did it. After half a minute of tense silence, Dice finally saw the owner of the weapon. 

A young woman.

“Haha! I’m sorry that I scared you. It was the only way to get your attention!” The ghostly women chuckled and the bathroom flooded with golden light. Dice still wanted to get away, yet something about the spirit made her attracted to it. That...and she wasn’t able to leave.

“What do you want? Who are you?” Cabel asked monotonously. Putting up a professional facade always helped Dice in strange situations like these. She’ll just creep out the...ghost… with her coldness and mannerisms. It always worked.

Accept for today.

“Why, I can't believe I forgot! My name is Lilith. Although, everyone knows me as the Legendary Chalice. May I ask the same question to you? You seem offly bold and cocky.” A sly smile appeared of Chalice’s red lips. Her golden hair swirled around her, making her look more intimidating.

Pale, elegant fingers brushed through Dice’s matted hair. The hand felt human and soft as it soothed her tangled curls. Cabel mabe eye contact with the spector and smiled.

“Well, I’m surprised of how relaxed I am with this. Anyways, my name’s Cabel King Dice.” She had always loved talking to others. It came easy to her and Chalice’s aura made her feel safe, so she probably wasn’t in any danger. Still, she could summon her cards in a flash of an eye. Dice got lost in thoughts about who to attack a ghost and didn’t even notice Chalice staring at her with bright blue eyes. 

The tall women floated around her and sent one of her black heels flying around the large space. She paid no mind to it as she continued to examine Dice, her clothing and shoes acted like they had a mind of their own. Around two minutes past until Chalice went back on the ground, heel immediately coming back to her. 

“Well, well, well… You are such a pretty girl! Besides your mop of hair, old clothes, malnourished body, wary aura, and all other signs that you were homeless, you look like a king!” Chalice wrapped her arms around Dice and somehow gave her a bone crushing hug. All the things that she said were true, but the part about being homeless frightened her. How did she know so quickly? 

“How do you know that I’m homeless? You haven’t met me before.” After Dice said that, Chalice burst out into laughter and threw her spear towards her. Right before it hit her in the heart, it stopped.

“See what I did just there? You thought I was going to kill you, but I didn’t. I know exactly how to use this things. Thanks to years of training, I’ve full mastered it. Same thing with reading people. I’ve done it for years, especially, since I’ve been like this. It’s so easy to tell.” The golden glow dulled a bit as Chalice wrapped her arms around herself. She looked like she was about to cry.

“Wait. I’m sorry, that was rude of me. There was a better way to ask that. Surely you’ve been through hell, right?” Dice put her hands on her hips and gave a reassuring look to the ghost. 

Her heart was till beating at a mile per hour after that little ‘stunt’ she pulled, but Cabel already got over it. The spirit’s words were rather worrying though. It now felt like she had been a ghost for years…

“It’s fine! You know what isn’t fine?! Your outfit! I’m going to give you a real makeover!” Dice couldn’t even question her as the ghost grabbed her wrist and flung her in the bathtub. Chalice now looked like she was going to burst in happiness. It was such a sudden switch of emotions. Dice was still reeling from what happened.

When she felt a hand tug on her shirt, she looked up and saw that Chalice was motioning her to take it off. There was a patient smile on her face as she looked at Cabel.

“You can’t take a bath with clothes on, silly! I’ll go start the water and bubbles while you get out of those rags. Sound good, dear?” Dice nodded and when into the shower to take off her clothes,

grabbing a towel with her. Her moves were slow and shaky, but she eventually took the articles of clothing off.

The moment she opened the door a burst of lavender attacked her nose. Chalice had already filled the bathtub up and bubbles were spilling onto the floor. The screen that Dice had forgotten about seemed to be playing a video of some kind. 

“Took you long enough! I’ll wait for you to get in or else I’ll have to push you in!” Chalice had a mocking look on her face as she turned around and put her hands over her eyes. 

Dice took off the towel and instantly went to cover herself. She went into the tub carefully and made sure the bubbles covered her whole body.

“Ok.. You can look now.”

“Wonderful! The moment you and your grey friend walked in this house, I wanted to give both of you a great makeover! Especially, after all the fighting you did. You sure know how to throw a punch!” Chalice pumped her right hand in the air and let out an excited squeal.

The white dress that flowed around the woman’s body transformed into a royal blue swimsuit. She jumped into the tub with Dice and grabbed a bottle of shampoo. 

“What are you doing?” Cabel asked. Chalice had squeezed an enormous glob of shampoo and was looking at her mischievously. Within seconds, the woman had slathered her hair in the substance and was gently scrubbing away. 

“Your hair is disgusting! It needs a SERIOUS WASH! How could you make such beautiful hair suffer?” Chalice said dramatically. All that Cabel did was sigh.

At this point, she really didn’t care anymore. There was a ghost that randomly appeared and wanted to give her a makeover. Not to mention that that ghost seems to be lacking a couple screws. Nevertheless, Dice sat in the tub, letting herself relax. The blood and ash in her hair washed away with each scrub from Chalice. 

“Well?” Her jolly voice interrupted Dice’s thoughts.

“Uhm. Didn’t you see the battle? I was stabbed repeatedly and burned. It was not fun.” 

“Oh! My apologies! I didn’t actually see everything in the battle. Really, I didn’t see anything! I only felt that there was powerful magic present. The kids needed some supervision, so I couldn’t actually watch the battle.” There was a childish pout on the woman’s face. 

A snort made its way out of Dice’s mouth. “Hey, Chalice?”

“Hm?”

“What is that screen for?”

“Ohhohoho! I’m glad you asked, my dear. This is just one of many screens Elder Kettle has. Although, this one is used for the kids. They can play movies on there while they’re in the tub. With a little work, eventually, it’ll become like the other screens. It keeps Elder Kettle up to date on all the events in the Inkwell Isles.” Dramatically, she gestured towards the screens. It was just a blank blue, nothing on it. After a motion from Chalice’s hand, it changed and showed a map of all of Inkwell. 

“Wow….” The teen gasped in awe. “Does it have info on the mafias?” 

“No duh! That's the main reason Elder Kettle has them! Here, let me show you.” Another wave. “Here is Inkwell Isle 1. Where we are, of course. Now, there are many mafias in each Isle. Still, there is always the Big Mafia if you catch my drift. In this isle, the Garden Mafia is the most powerful mafia. Cageny Carnation runs it, and all other mafias are under his control.” 

“He is such an asshole.” Dice grumbled, remembering what he did to her and Devil all those years ago. “So, what happens to the other mafias?”

“Some become his partners. For example, we have Hilda Berg, leader of the Sky Mafia. The two are partners and long time best friends. Others just know to respect him and his territory. Now, Inkwell Isle two is run by the Carnival Mafia. The big boss for this is Baroness Von Bon Bon. Cruel and controlling. She has many loyal followers, making her all the more powerful.” Chalice paused, a troubled look overcoming her features. “That’s where Elder Kettle went. There were fights breaking out there. Some members of mafias from Inkwell Isle three came to ‘visit’. They wanted to take down Isle Two and make their way to Isle One.”

“The Devil’s Mafia?”

“Yes. Run by Satan himself. He is the true ruler of all of Inkwell. No one questions him. They are all under his control through contracts. Bound by their own soul.” 

A silence fell over the two. It was actually Cabell who broke the silence. “Were you responsible for my outburst to Lu?” The guilt was still there. 

“I apologise, my dear. It was me.”

“Why’d you do it?”

“He needed to leave. We needed to have some girl-talk.”

“Really? Is that it? You just wanted to gossip or something?” Dice couldn't conceal the frustration from her voice. 

“No. It is not that. You see, I was the reason Elder Kettle found you. I sensed powerful beings near and I wanted him to find them. That and, Elder Kettle knew that his time has come. He's incredibly old, and he was aware the he needed to find his grandchildren caretakers and fast. He was dying. There is a hidden box with his will and a letter to his grandkids. It was written long ago. That's why he had to leave so abruptly.”

“To die protecting his grandkids,” said Dice. Her voice was trembling and watery. The realization was too much to handle. Tears began to form. A warm hand settled on her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, dear.”

No one said anything for the rest of the bath. Chalice just gently massaged her scalp with shampoo and conditioner. All that she did was hum a soothing song. After the ghost woman finished, she wrapped Dice in a large towel and bid her goodbye. 

Tears were still streaming down both of their faces.

___________________________________

 

“And the Crayon and Candle turned into a beautiful flame. Neverending. Their love story is tragic, but it still had a good ending. Love doesn't discriminate. It's there for all people. Even crayons and candles. The End.” When Lu looked around, he saw that both of the kids were deeply asleep. Mugs was snuggled in his bed with a smile on his face while Cups was sprawled across his own, snoring quietly. 

“Hey.” His head snapped up to see none other than Dice. Tired and red-eyed. She was in a towel that hung loose on her gangly frame. Immediately, Lu ran towards her and gave her a hug which she weakly reciprocated. 

“Boss… there are guest rooms for us.” 

“Really? Who told you?”

“There was a letter Elder Kettle left us.”

“Oh alright.”

.

.

.

 

By some strange magic, each of their rooms were designed to their likings. Devil’s was surrounded by gold and crimsons. There were golden knickknacks everywhere. His bed was a blood red and, of course, had some gold elements to it.

On the other hand, Dice’s was a royal purple that had jewelry and fancy clothing to her liking. In fact, her clothes fit her perfectly. As if it was tailored only for her measurements. She summoned her cards, letting them roam around their new home. Still in her towel, Cabell walked towards the closet and looked around. There were dresses, shirts, shorts, dress pants, skirts, heels, everything. When she set her eyes on a purple suit, her heart soared. It was perfect. In the stitches was her dream name. 

“Mr. King Dice,” She said aloud. “I like it.” Quickly grabbing a pair of night shorts and a baggy shirt with dice on them, Cabell fell into the impossibly soft and plush bed. After what felt like hours, she finally fell asleep.

.

.

.

Unfortunately, everyone would later find out that Elder Kettle died whilst battling Satan himself in Inkwell Isle Two. He left his only family alone. At least, he was able to find the best caretakers for any child. Even if they themselves didn’t know it. 

They would even become the parents the children never had. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. I’m not going to make any promises of when the next chapter will be posted. My inconsistency with uploading is so bad. All I can say is that there will be a update later this week. I hope 
> 
> Again, thank you for your patience and stay awesome!


	7. Choices are Made

* * *

It was around four in the morning when Dice was startled awake. There was faint knocking on her door. Groggily, she got up and went to answer it. The second she saw the tear stained face of Chalice, Cabell enveloped her in a hug. 

“He’s gone, my dear,” were the only words she spoke. Her form was dull, not at all bright. What once used to be golden hair now was grey and dull. 

“I’m so sorry.” Cabel whispered, unable to speak any louder. She had only known the man for a day, and he was already gone for good. It still felt like she had lost a loved one. In a way, she had. Elder Kettle was kind, and she appreciated how much he cared for his family. Thinking of his family that he left, Dice flinched. “What are we going to do about the twins? Do we tell them?” 

“I am not sure. However, I know that it will be impossible to avoid this topic. They’re very mature for their age, but they are only six. They lost their whole family now. And they are still children.” Chalice’s voice grew watery as tears pricked her eyes once more. It hurt. God, it was so painful to know that the boys didn’t have any family. They’ll be orphans.

”Do you know why I am attached to this house?” the once vibrant woman said with no emotion.

”I don’t know. Why?” Dice asked politely.

 “I was their mother and Elder Kettle’s daughter. I died before I even got to know them.” She began to cry heavily. “M-My husband was killed as well, but his soul is with Satan. For some reason, mine escaped, and I’m now forever stuck here. Bound to this home. For eternity.” 

“At least they still have you watching over them. I bet they know that you’re there. You know,” Dice walked over to her bed and motioned for Chalice to join her, “I had an older brother. Calloway was his name. For a member of the most deceiving and sleazy mafia, he was extremely kind. He taught me all I need to know to survive out here. Gave me his books and food whenever her could. He taught me how to use my cards. I still have his favorite one.” It has been years since she thought that far. Weakly, she waved her hand and a faded, beaten-up king of hearts appeared. The card had been with her for as long as she could remember. As it purred to her happily, Dice continued her story. 

“I probably would have been dead at the age of four if it wasn’t for him. He gave me medicine when I was sick and bandaged me up after a beating with my parents. I called him Cal, and he called me Little Queen. I remember how much he loved me. Always gave me hugs and reassurances all the time. Especially because of my parents. The amount of times he took the beating to protect me is astronomical. He didn’t deserve it.” Cabell sighed heavily. Her hands shakily went through her wavy hair. 

“Cal had the biggest glasses to. They were a staple to his look. The guy couldn’t see for shit. But, hey, neither can I. My eyesight is even worse.” She gestured at her damaged right eye. “But one day, he gave me his glasses and his card. I just turned seven a few days ago...” The old card rubbed against her cheek to sooth her. Tears began to prick her eyes, and a lump formed in her throat. 

“There was a huge fight, and he was dragged into it. You see, the Kings has been a dying mafia for a long time. We got attacked frequently. This, however, would be the worst one yet. Several mafias, The Garden, The Sky, and The Undead. But, it was just the leaders. That stupid plant guy, the crazed flying woman, and this arrogant boxer guy. They wanted to get the rest of our money and power.” There was a pause as the memories began to resurface.

”My idiot of a father refused. Being to stuck up his own ass to see that there was no other way. So, they fought. At the last second, my parents pushed Cal in the line of fire. He was shot, straight in the heart. They had killed a seventeen-year-old. My big brother.” A fist formed in her hands. Her eyes began to glow as the hatred for her family increased. 

A warm hand touched her shoulder. It was Chalice, looking at her in sympathy.

”Oh, sweet pea. I can’t even imagine what that must have felt like. Though, you didn’t let that event placate you for the rest of your life. You are a very strong and beautiful young lady. Your brother would be very proud. I bet he’s watching over you right now. Just like you said before. His spirit must be in his beloved card.” 

“I-I miss him so much.” Dice closed her eyes to fight the tears. Before she could begin do anything else, Chalice wrapped her in a huge hug. She rubbed her back and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. It was very motherly. In fact, it was the first time she had ever experienced something like that. Never in her life did she think about what it would be like to actually have a mother.

Someone who would hug you and give you plenty of kisses. A woman that loves her to bits. She would be her role model and her rock. Her thoughts began to turn, what would happen to the boys? 

They had no mom or dad. Nobody to gives them care and endless amounts of love. No grandparents to spoil them silly and teach them life lessons. Dice couldn’t let that happen. 

“I don’t want those boys to live in a world like this alone. They deserve a loving family. Elder Kettle told us that we would be the caretakers of his grandsons. I’m willing to start now. Those kids are wonderful and sweet, they’re easy to love. Until they find someone better, I’ll happily be the one to care for them.” A smile appeared on her face. She had always loved children. They were just so pure and innocent. Of course, there were some rotten ones that spat at her and mocked her. Still, there were always little angels that gave her hope in humanity.

”Oh, sweetheart. I think they’ve already got the best caregiver they can ask for. I can’t thank you enough.” Chalice cupped Dice’s face and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Sleep now. You need all the rest you can get. Tomorrow, I’ll teach you about magic and fighting. You have to be a master at kickin’ ass, alright?”

”Alright. Goodnight Chalice.” 

“Goodnight, pumpkin.”

With that, she disappeared, leaving Dice alone in her room. The teen was always a morning person, and she knew she wouldn’t be going to sleep any time soon. Quietly, she walked out of her room to go to the boys.

They were both asleep. Dice kneeled down and stroked her thumb again Cupheads cheek, wiping off the drool he had. Hearing a faint whine, she turned around to see a distressed Mugman. He looked like he was having a bad dream. Indeed he was, he woke up with a gasp and tears immediately ran down his face. The boy looked around and stopped when he saw Dice. In his state, he made grabby hands towards her, and She happily complied. Dice picked him up and bounced him on her hip, gently shushing him. 

Michael clung onto her as he wept. His cries turned into sniffles as he began to calm down. Especially since Dice began to sing a lullaby. 

“ _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_  
Sing sweet nightingale  
High above me  
Oh, sing sweet nightingale  
Sing sweet nightingale  
High above

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_  
Sing sweet nightingale, high  
Oh, sing sweet nightingale  
Sing sweet nightingale  
Oh, sing sweet nightingale  
Sing sweet

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_  
Sing sweet nightingale, sing  
Oh, sing sweet nightingale  
Sing sweet  
Oh, sing sweet  
Oh, sing”

She gently rocked him back and forth as she sung. The poor boy was so terrified by his nightmare. As she continued, Mugman’s eyes grew heavier and heavier. He fell asleep in her arms. Just when she was about to put him down and leave, Michael whined. She understood right then and there that he didn’t want her to go. All Dice did was smile as she crawled onto Mugs’s small bed. He clung to her like a koala the second she laid down. Dice didn’t stop the song, she just kept humming the sweet melody whilst rubbing Mugman’s back comfortingly. 

* * *

Out of the things that Lu expected out of Dice, sleeping in a child’s bed was not one of them. It was around 9 A.M. and the sun shone through the place. When he got a closer look, he saw that Michael was snuggled up against her, smiling in his sleep. 

“Lu!” 

Well at least one was awake. Cuphead’s hair was a mess and all over the place. Upon seeing him, Charlie ran towards him and gave him a bear hug. With his advanced sense of smell, he realized that Cups desperately needed a bath. 

“Kiddo you stink! You need one hell of a bath!”

”I don’t wanna take a bath, though!” 

“If you do I’ll give you...uh...Oh! Five bucks!” 

“I’ll only do it if Mugs is with me. That’s what Elder Kettle does all the time. It’s a lot of fun with my bro!” 

“Hmm. Alright deal.” Devil smirked as Cuphead hollered in victory. “Small problem though, Dice and Mugs are both asleep.” 

“I have a trumpet and cymbals.” 

“Oh, I like your style kid.” 

.

.

.

Instruments in hand, Devil and Cups smiled at each other mischievously. They counted down to three...

Two...

ONE!

“WAKE UP, DICEY!!!”

”RISE AND SHINE MUGSY!!!!”

Both victims screamed. They sure were awake. When they realized who were responsible, their expressions shifted.

“YOU ARE SO GOING TO GET IT!” Dice and Mugs said at the same time.

.

.

.

The bath was a success and was filled with laughter. Mugman got his revenge on Cuphead by shooting him with a hidden water gun. On the other hand, Cabell splashed water all over Luci and used one of her dice to frost him all over. Revenge was great at times.

Now, they were sitting on the couch. They just finished having breakfast and Dice wanted everyone to take a seat. She had told Devil everything while the kids had breakfast. His anger towards the Devil’s Mafia was terrifying. He believed Dice completely. Even when she talked about Chalice. He was well versed with souls and spirits. At the death of Elder Kettle, he shed a lot of tears with Dice. He fully supported her decision but didn’t say anything on what he was going to do.

“Alright, kiddos. We have some bad news.” Devil started off.

“What’s wrong?” Cuphead tilted his head in question. 

“Are you guys leaving?” The sadness in Mugman’s eyes broke Dice’s heart. 

“No. I’m here to stay, Mugs. It’s actually about your grandpa. Elder Kettle.” She looked down. 

Silence filled the room.

”He was killed wasn’t he?” Mugs said solemnly. His eyes were watery and he started to cry. The elder twin looked at him in confusion.

”That’s not true. Mugs quit joking around!” There was evident strain in Charlie’s voice. Even his eyes grew red at the thought of their Gramps being dead.

“I’m so sorry, boys. Your grandpa did die. He loved you very, very much and left you two this letter.” She took the neat paper out of her pocket and began to read:

” _My dearest boys,_

_I have dreaded this day. The day when I pass. As you know, this world is dangerous and cruel. It took your mother and father away. Now, it takes me away. However, the world isn’t horrible. There are just people there who made some bad choices, got on the wrong path. No one is truly evil. Don’t see my passing as an excuse to make those bad decisions. Stay kind and strong. I’m so proud of you both. From the moment I saw you, I knew you would amount to great things. It’s in your very souls. Cuphead, you have always been a powerhouse and trouble maker, but you have a heart of gold. Use your strength for good. Give others who aren’t as strong some help. A good deed goes a long way. I know that you’ll keep taking care of your brother. You care deeply about your loved ones and that is a very good sign. Keep them in your heart. Just because I may be gone doesn’t mean that I am not there. Now, Mugman. Your soul is sweet and kindness runs through it. You are so willing to help others. That kind of selflessness isn’t common. Keep that for me my boy. Knowledge has always been your strong suit, and that will take you a long way. Using your words and trying to understand others is much better than violence. You will both make this world a better place. Keep your brother in line, Michael. Charlie, make sure your brother takes breaks. I love both of you so very much. You are my entire world. Your parents are so, so proud of you. Always remember that I love you both. Stay true to yourself. My wonderful grandkids._

_~Love,_

_Elder Kettle”_

 _“_ He’salways going to be with you two. You don’t know how much he loves you. Keep him close to your heart. And never, ever let go of him.” Dice said after she finished the letter. She was crying with the two boys. Both of them were sobbing and wailing in her arms. Crying about they miss him already. That they want him back. “Oh, boys. I’m so sorry. Here, I want to tell you a story.” They looked up and their eyes widened at the objects in her hand. 

There was a cartilage piercing bar in the form of a sword. Meant for Mugman. No piercing was needed. It was magical and went through once he put it near his ear. 

For Cuphead, there was a gold necklace that had a golden revolver as a pendant. It only needed to be put around his head, it was that large.

In Dice’s hand were her brother’s glasses and his card. “These were my brother’s. He was killed a long time ago. I was around your age. He was the only true family I had. I keep these with me, for I know they kee him in my heart. It’s the same thing for you two. He’s always going to be in here.” She gently tapped at the boys’ chests where their hearts were. Their cries had ebbed a bit and Mugman managed a tiny smile. 

“At least he’s in a kinder place. We could tell he was suffering. He’s really old. His bones creaked and his joints were so stiff. Grandpa always hid it well, but I could always tell. He got sick all the time as well. It would happen eventually.” The boy’s words held a high level of maturity to them. It surprised Dice quite a lot. 

“Yeah, it was inevitable.” Cuphead quietly said, not truly believing his own words. Dice wrapped him in a hug as he began to sob. He clung onto her for dear life. Mugs joined the hug and let himself break as well. 

The entire time, Devil said nothing. He was standing by the front door. All he could think about was how he wanted revenge on Satan. That asshole deserved it, and he was going to do everything in his power to stop him. 

.

.

.

Hours passed and the boys had fallen asleep on the couch. Dice was carding her fingers through their hair while humming a sweet tune. Her eyes were red and tired, still having silent tears stream down. She just watched the boys and wiped at their eyes whenever tears fell. 

“Cabel.” Devil broke the silence. He had yet to move. His friend didn’t even answer, she only turned her head towards him. 

“I can’t stay here. I’m leaving.” That got a reaction. Cabel’s eyes turned an emerald green, sharp and angry. 

“Oh really? Tell me why **right now.”** Her voice was steely. 

“I can’t let that asshole Satan get away with this. I’m going to kill him.” Now Devil’s eyes were glowing. 

“Boss. Think with your head. You can’t defeat that guy. He’s to powerful!” She whisper-yelled. 

“No. He’s weak and a fake. I was the one who fell, not him.” 

“He’s older than you, Dev! You’re only seventeen.”

”As a mortal, yes. I’m actually a lot older than you think. Of course, I’m technically seventeen in ‘Angel Years’. Actually, I’m quite young for a demon.” 

“Ah, and now you want to tell me. So you lied this entire time about your age?”

”Not really. I actually thought I was ten when I met you. For a while I thought I was just two years ahead. Time is very weird when you’re immortal. I just never really thought about it.” 

“Just because you’re a demon doesn’t mean you are going to immediately take over Inkwell.” Panic started to appear in her voice.

”I can wield that fake’s trident. I’ll probably be able to use it to its fullest potential. But, I’m not entirely sure what will happen once I do.”

”You’re going to turn into a monster, Lu. That’s what. That thing is evil. Don’t do it.”

”I have to. It’s the only way to kill him. I don’t know if I’ll be back, Dicey. Don’t follow me. Take care of those two, alright?” 

“Devil, please. Let’s talk about this first. When were you the one to do all this heroic stuff?” Her tone grew frantic.

With a sigh, her only friend walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her and  held her close. They parted and Devil took a hold of Dice’s cheek, cupping it. 

“This world fucking sucks. We are going to change it. Me, you, and those wonderful kids. I need to do this first though. Or else we’ll never have a chance.”

”Lu, please.”

”I’m doing this because I love you, Dice.” He leaned in and gave a chaste kiss on her lips. 

Their first kiss...

They kissed again. This time, Dice was reciprocating. And they did it again. And again. And again. Once they finally parted, Dice had tears in her eyes. Devil kissed her one more time. Deep and passionate. She melted into the kiss and responded just as much. 

When she opened her eyes, Devil was gone. Leaving her by herself. 

No one heard her wails as she mourned another loss. 

* * *

 

“Dicey? Dicey? Are you okay?” She snapped up and looked at Mugman. It was the next morning and both of the boys had yet to leave the couch. 

“Y-Yes I’m fine. How are you two doing?” 

“Meh...” They both responded. 

“Where’s Devil?” 

“Oh, well, Charlie. He...He’s gone.” Dice had to swallow the lump in her throat. Quickly, Mugs and Cups picked up on her clear sadness.

”He’s gone?!” Panic overtook Cuphead’s features. “Not him to!” 

“No! Not like that, kiddo. He left. Last night.” 

“Why?”

”He went to go face Satan. I don’t know when he’ll be back...” A hand went over her mouth to stop her from sobbing all over again. After registering what she just said, Dice mentally slapped herself. That wasn’t going to help anything. 

No one would be able to tell her this, but she is allowed to make mistakes. She is only fifteen and basically the new mother for two six year olds. A teenager can’t be expected to be an adult in an instant. 

However, she didn’t see it that way. 

“I’m sorry you two. He will come back. Just not right away. Think of it like he’s going on an adventure.” 

“But why would he leave you alone?” 

Mugman’s words made her freeze. 

“Well, if I went, who would take care of you two?” A warm smile appeared. Dice really cared for these two. The boys smiled at her as well and came in to hug her.

.

.

.

It was late in the afternoon. Both twins were fast asleep, still tired from everything. They had another breakdown earlier when they saw Elder Kettle’s coffee mug. Now, they were in a deep slumber. Perfect.

“Chalice? Can I have a word with you?” Dice was in her room, reading a book about gambling. Immediately, the spirit appeared, not as dull as before. 

“Yes, my dear? What is it?”

”I need you to watch the boys for me.”

”What?! You are leaving already?”

”No! It’s nothing like that. I need to go after Devil. I bet I can find him in an hour or so.” Chalice’s face softened.

”I can help you track him. I’ll need a sample of his DNA first.”

”Oh! I bet there’s some hair on his pillow! He practically sheds!” 

“Great!” 

In only a few minutes, Chalice had used the hair to track Lucifer’s magical signal. She summoned a portal straight from the ground.

”Woah? How did you do that?”

”Magic, deary! Most ghosts have it. Hm. I think I might be able to transfer it to you. Hold still.” With her spear, Chalice shot a beam of gold magic straight at Cabel. Her own magic accepted it. Huh. 

“Hurry now! I’m not sure how long it’ll hold and, deary,” 

“Yes?”

”Take this.” 

A royal purple pistol appeared in her hand. It had a glow to it. 

“It’s bullets are your magic. It never runs out. Now go! Find your man!”

 Dice jumped into the portal. She found her self in none other than the Devil’s Casino.

Where Lu was about to fight with Satan himself.

.

.

.

”Well, well, well. Looks like you’re back, brat!” The gigantic man said at Lu. His skin was a blood red and his eyes were pure green. He had two sets of long horns that went straight up, sharp to the touch. 

“Oh, and if it isn’t the poser of a demon. I bet you just go by Satan, don’t you?”

That really made him angry. 

“Why you little... Everyone! ATTACK THIS WORM.” 

Just as the goons were going to attack, the heavy casino doors slammed open by none other than Cabell. It looks could kill, everyone would be in their graves. A glare was specifically aimed at Devil, he flinched. 

“And who are you?” Satan said impatiently.

“I’m the Devil’s Right Hand Man. And you don’t mess with me.”

“Hah! We’ll see about that! GET THEM!”

The two split up. Dice went for the goons while Devil went for Satan.

.

.

. 

Everywhere goons came towards her. Left and right. Her cards were all summoned and, boy, were they ready to fight. The diamonds went after some of the bigger dudes, slicing their necks in one swipe. From how fast they were, the idiots couldn’t even touch them. 

With her clubs, she fought the fast opponents head on. There was this drunk troupe that only needed to be punched to go down. Weird. Next, an insane looking man with long legs and white hair ran towards her. He had a chainsaw in his hand and was laughing maniacally. His suit was blue and purple, looking like some kind of magician. Luckily, the guy had no strategy, so Dice just roundhouse kicked the guy and uppercutted him. 

The particular hard one were these twins and a Russian woman. They actually had tactics. With a wave of her hand, she summoned her diamonds and began slashing at the twins. One male and one female. Still, they kept trying to one up the other and got distracted in their competition. Dice gave them a couple good punches and stomped on the girl how bit her hand. 

Next was the Russian woman. She looked like a ballerina and spinned around the place. Numbers began to appear out of her, and they were a bitch to avoid. On the bright side, Dice was familiar with the dancing world and began to tap dance. Her spades followed her around and would punch the woman at any given chance. After a while, the woman was defeated. And she totally wasn’t covered in ice. Definitely not.

Looking back, she saw that her diamonds had taken care of quite a few goons. There was a stout man with cymbals next to him that was on the ground near the claw machines. A man with a visor was knocked out near some horse game. One tall guy who was dressed up as a cowboy was buried in poker chips, blacked out. 

All that were left were two guys. They were huge. And angry. The one on the left had cigarettes all around him, his body somehow smoking as well. On the right was the largest man Dice had ever seen. He wore a black suit and a mask that hid his face. It had a wide smile on it that made his bright yellow eyes seem bigger. 

“So you’re the bitch that’s been beating everyone up.” Said the smoking dude.

”Well yeah. Now, who are you? Some kind of cancer promoter?”

”My apologies, madam. I’m Mr. Wheezy and this here is ol’ Mangosteen.”

”Cabel King Dice. It’s going to be a pleasure beating you up.”

 Dice took her diamonds in her hands and threw them at the two. They didn’t have the mass effect she’d been hoping for. These guys were tough. She wished she had taken those lessons from Chalice as soon as possible. 

Oh well. 

They attacked viciously and dirty. Wheezy sent barrages of his minions at her. The familiar burn of a cigarette on her skin brought her back. To her mother and father. She used to be their personal ash tray. 

“You’re going to lose, little lady.” Mangosteen said. His voice was unsettling. With terrifying ease, he caught her hand and nearly crushed it. Her clubs came in just in time to slice his hand.

A punch from Wheezy sent her flying. They were so much bulkier and larger than she was. It was like she was just a cockroach. Desperately, Dice used as much magic as she could to enlarge her cards to her size and do some damage. Finally, they got a good bruising, but it wasn’t enough. Summoning her two dice, she rolled a two.

“Snake eyes.” She smirked. 

Both of them were frozen on the spot. Good. 

Right when she was about to head to Lu, an explosion was heard. Both of them had already escaped. Wheezy has set himself on fire and Mangosteen broke through the ice. 

The only option she had was to run. 

Without any signs of stopping, they threw all they had at her. Fire, ashes, acid, projectiles. Anything and everything. Her hair got singed and her skin was Burnt. Blood poured heavily out of a deep gash on her left leg that went through bone. Her forehead was sliced open by shards of glass and metal from Mangosteen. All over her arms were bleeding scrapes and burn marks. When a particular knife when through her torso, Dice new she was reaching an end. 

Her magic was beyond spent. All of her cards were weak and exhausted, no strength left in them. The dices she had weren’t effective in her state. A harsh cough wracked her frame. As she looked up, her vision blurred. Faintly, she could see the outlines of the two men. 

No sign of Devil coming to help her. Nothing. She was alone. About to die.

Never accomplishing her life goal. 

The kids were expecting to wake up to see Dice right next to them. Not dead in a different isle. No. She wouldn’t let them win. 

With the last of her strength, she took out the gun and fired. Toxic green and royal purple fire erupted from it. Cabel stood up shakily and began to fire more. The entire time, she was screaming at the top of her lungs in pain. Her eyes were set ablaze with magic. Deep wounds were apparent in Wheezy’s and Mangosteen’s bodies. 

Parts of her once brown hair turned an alabaster color mixed with purple. She continued to shoot, not caring about anything else. Her ears were ringing and her eyes were unfocused. Still, she didn’t stop firing. Any reminants of Magic were shot out of that gun. 

At last, both of them collapsed heavily. So did Dice. 

Her world was spinning and she couldn’t take a single breath. “Lu...” Dice hoarsely whispered. When she tried to get up, her body immediately went back down. All that she could do was keep her head up. 

What she saw right then and there would forever be engrained in her mind.

It was Devil, soaked in blood. He was standing over Satan’s hollowed out body. In his hand was the golden trident. Dread filled Dice. All the dark magic that was contained poured itself into Devil. His eyes ignited. Teeth sharpened. And he would never be the same. With on bang of his weapon, people began to wake up.

”Ladies and gentlemen! It seems that your leader was a fake. He was just a cruel man that had horns. Don’t worry, though. I have taken care of him. You will be under my control and will answer to me and only me.” Cruelty was in his tone. It hurt her so much to see him like that. Their eyes locked and Lucifer smiled, “And you will obey any order your new manager gives you. My right hand man. King Dice.”

All of the goons got up and mindlessly began to fix the casino. 

Dice ran away. Never looking back.

If only she knew her soul wasn’t entirely her’s anymore.

* * *

 

The house was quiet when Dice came back. Her portal to Inkwell Isle one actually worked. 

Dice walked up the stairs, not making a sound. Checking in on the boys, she saw that they were both still asleep. She sat with them for a bit, smoothing their hair with her hands. Eventually, she got up and took a long shower. Her wounds reopened and hurt like hell. 

Getting a bag that seemed to be for first aid, she took out a needle and thread and began to stitch herself up. When she was finished, Dice limped to her room. 

On her bed was that beautiful suit, having a note on top of it.

_**You start at 8:00 A.M. sharp. Don’t  be late.** _

_**~Devil** _

The note fell on the floor. And so did Dice. She had lost everything now. There was no way of getting it back. 

Right?

 

**Author's Note:**

> So sorry if it’s too short. I’m planning to make them longer as I go! Updates should be daily or three times a week :)  
> Don’t be afraid to send me a comment on what you thought and your critics below. Thank you so much for reading :)


End file.
